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COPYRIGHT
© Copyright 2007 Orion Software Ltd. All rights reserved.
This Orion software is copyrighted by the developer of the software, Orion Software Ltd. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and/or nondisclosure
agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of those agreements. No
part of this publication and the software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any
electronic medium or machine-readable form without the manufacturer’s written permission.
Microsoft and Windows®98 or later are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names
are copyrighted and registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. All computer and software
names identified by TM or tm are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introducing Sirius
Introduction ....................................................................... ..................................... 7
Sirius advantages ....................................................... ..................................... 7
Prerequisites .............................................................. ..................................... 7
New Features in this Version............................................. .................................... 8
Conventions Used in the Documentation ......................... ................................... 14
Contacting Us ................................................................... ................................... 15
Chapter 2 - Installing Sirius
Checking Workstation and Server Requirements ............. ................................... 17
Installing Sirius on a Network Server ................................ ................................... 18
Installing Sirius on Client Workstations.............................. .................................. 21
Installing Sirius on a Standalone PC ................................ ................................... 24
Granting Network Access to Sirius .................................... .................................. 27
Borland Database Engine Setup ....................................... .................................. 28
Setting Up the Sirius Database ........................................ ................................... 30
Chapter 3 - Starting Sirius
Obtaining a Key Number ................................................... .................................. 33
Starting Sirius for the First Time ....................................... ................................... 34
Viewing the Sirius Main Window ...................................... ................................... 35
Changing Your User ID ..................................................... ................................... 36
Changing Your Password ................................................. ................................... 37
Changing the Language Setting ........................................ .................................. 37
Quitting Sirius .................................................................... .................................. 38
Chapter 4 - Configuring Sirius
General System Configuration ................................... ................................... 41
Entering General Company Information ..................... ................................... 41
Adding Salesclerks ..................................................... ................................... 43
Creating Cash Registers ............................................. ................................... 44
Configuring GL Accounts in Sirius ............................. ................................... 45
Setting Up Methods of Payment ................................ ................................... 48
Taxes ................................................................................ .................................. 50
Setting Up Tax Groups ................................................ .................................. 50
Price Groups...................................................................... .................................. 51
Creating Price Groups ................................................ ................................... 51
Entering Surcharge Rates........................................... ................................... 52
Customer Configuration .................................................... ................................... 54
Setting Up Customer Categories ................................ .................................. 54
Adding Customer Discount Groups............................. .................................. 57
Item Configuration and Depreciation ................................ ................................... 59
Setting Up Item Depreciation Tables .......................... ................................... 59
Creating an Item Category ................................................ .................................. 61
User ID Configuration ........................................................ ................................... 63
Creatiing User IDs....................................................... ................................... 63
Chapter 5 - Entering Data
Managing Customers ........................................................ .................................. 65
Accessing Customer Management ............................ ................................... 65
Adding Customers ...................................................... ................................... 65
Searching for Customers ........................................... ................................... 71
Editing Customer Details............................................. ................................... 73
Assigning Taxes to Customers ................................... ................................... 74
Setting Up Price and Discount Groups for Customers ................................... 75
Changing Customer Codes......................................... ................................... 76
Managing Suppliers .......................................................... ................................... 77
Accessing Supplier Management ............................... ................................... 77
Adding New Suppliers ................................................ ................................... 77
Searching for Suppliers............................................... .................................. 81
Managing Items ................................................................ ................................... 83
Accessing Item Management...................................... ................................... 83
Adding New Items ...................................................... ................................... 83
Searching for Items .................................................... ................................... 92
Modifying Item Details ................................................ ................................... 94
Changing Item Codes ................................................ ................................... 95
Managing Serialized Items ............................................... ................................... 96
Accessing Serial Number Management ..................... ................................... 96
Adding Serialized Items .............................................. .................................. 97
Maintaining Serialized Items ...................................... ................................... 99
Managing Projects............................................................. ................................ 101
Configuring Sirius for Project Management ............... ................................. 101
Adding Projects .......................................................... ................................. 102
Assigning Rental Resources to a Project ................... ................................. 103
Entering Data: Managing Staff........................................... ................................ 104
Configuring Sirius for Staff Management .................... ................................. 104
Accessing the Staff window ........................................ ................................. 105
Adding Staff ................................................................ ................................. 105
Viewing Staff Availability Using the Availability Calendar ............................. 106
Modifying Staff Availability. ......................................... ................................. 108
Chapter 6 - Managing Transactions
What are Transactions? .................................................... ..................................111
Types of Transactions ....................................................... ..................................111
Rental Contracts ............................................................... ................................. 115
Accessing the Rental Contract Window ...................... ................................. 115
Creating a Rental Contract ......................................... ................................. 116
Searching for Rental Contracts ......................................... ................................. 123
Modifying a Rental Contract ............................................. ................................. 125
Selecting the Rental Contract Being Modified ............ ................................. 125
Modifying the From and To Dates and the Time Period ............................... 126
Modifying the Delivery information ............................. ................................. 126
Modifying the Detail Information ................................. ................................. 126
Modifying Finalizer, Deposit and Payment Information ................................ 127
Emailing a Rental Contract ................................................ ................................. 128
Cloning Rental Contracts .................................................. ................................. 129
Printing a Pick-Up Slip....................................................... ................................ 131
Printing a Delivery Slip ...................................................... ................................. 132
Transforming the Rental Contract into a Rental Invoice ... ................................. 133
Archiving a Rental Contract .............................................. ................................. 134
Transforming Other Transactions ...................................... ................................. 135
Chapter 7 - Processing Returns
Handling Partial Returns.................................................... ................................. 137
Closing Rental Contracts .................................................. ................................. 141
Identifying Equipment Needing Maintenance, Repair or Cleaning ..................... 145
Chapter 8 - Managing Invoices
Accessing Invoices ........................................................... ................................. 149
Creating Invoices .............................................................. ................................. 149
Searching for Invoices ...................................................... ................................. 150
Finalizing and Printing Invoices ........................................ ................................. 152
Emailing an Invoice .......................................................... ................................. 153
Adding Tax Identification number on Invoices .................. ................................. 154
Adding your Logo to Invoices ........................................... ................................. 155
Understanding Sirius Logo Files ................................ ................................. 155
Creating Bitmap (bmp) logos ..................................... ................................. 157
Creating Rich Text Format (RTF) logos ...................... ................................ 157
Chapter 9 - Crediting Invoices
Crediting a Rental Invoice ................................................. ................................ 159
Crediting a Sales Invoice................................................... ................................. 164
Chapter 10 - Selling Items and Accessories
Processing the Sale of a New Item or Accessory ............. ................................. 169
Processing the Sale of a Rental Item ................................ ................................ 174
Chapter 11 - Managing Inventory
Entering Inventory in Sirius ............................................... ................................. 181
Entering Your Inventory Quantity As An Adjustment .. ................................. 181
Entering Inventory Quantities using UPC Codes ....... ................................. 183
Entering Inventory Quantities Manually ..................... ................................. 185
Printing Labels to Track Inventory Items ................... ................................. 185
Setting Inventory Levels ................................................... ................................. 186
Setting Minimum and Maximum Inventory Levels ...... ................................. 186
Purchasing Inventory Items .............................................. ................................. 188
Creating a Purchase Order ........................................ ................................. 188
Creating a Purchase Order for Multiple Branches ..... ................................. 193
Receiving Purchased Inventory Items .............................. ................................. 195
Receiving Equipment Ordered Using a Purchase Order .............................. 195
Setting Up Meters on Rental Equipment ........................... ................................. 200
Creating a Meter Item ................................................ ................................. 200
Viewing and Adjusting Meter Usage in Serial Number Management .......... 203
Viewing and Adjusting Meter Usage on the Rental Contract ........................ 204
Transferring Stock between Branches .............................. ................................. 206
Transferring Bulk Stock Items to another Branch ....... ................................. 206
Transferring a Serialized Item to another Branch ....... ................................ 208
Receiving Transferred Stock ...................................... ................................. 210
Handling Broken or Lost Rental Equipment ...................... ................................. 212
Identifying Equipment that is Missing.......................... ................................. 212
Adjusting Inventory for Lost or Stolen Equipment ...... ................................. 213
Charging for Broken, Lost or Stolen Rental Equipment ............................... 216
Adjusting Item Availability for Maintenance or Repair ....... ................................ 217
Viewing the Availability Status of Items ...................... ................................. 217
Chapter 12 - Accounting
Managing Accounts Receivable ....................................... ................................. 221
Adding an Invoice to the Accounts Receivable .......... ................................. 221
Searching for an Accounts Receivable Entry ............. ................................. 224
Entering Payments for an Invoice in Accounts Receivable .......................... 229
Viewing Deposits ........................................................ ................................. 232
Generating a Check Deposit Form ............................. ................................. 233
Balancing Your Cash ........................................................ ................................. 234
Generating the Cash Balance Report ........................ ................................. 234
Accounting: Closing Accounts at Day-End ........................ ................................. 236
Configuring an Automatic Close in Sirius ................... ................................. 236
Performing a Manual Close in Sirius .......................... ................................. 237
Accounting Verifying Account Receivable Balances ........ ................................. 238
Verifying Account Receivable Balances...................... ................................. 238
Accounting: Regenerating Item Quantities and Statistics . ................................. 239
Verifying Serialized Item Quantities ........................... ................................. 239
Verifying Revenue for Serialized Items ...................... ................................. 240
Regenerating Item Statistics ...................................... ................................. 241
Closing the Accounting Period ......................................... ................................. 242
Generating a Statements of Account ......................... ................................. 242
Accounts Aging .......................................................... ................................. 244
Issuing Interest ........................................................... ................................. 245
Closing the Accounting Period ................................... ................................. 248
Calculating Cost of Goods Sold Information .............. ................................. 251
Generating Period-End Financial Reports ................. ................................. 253
Periodic Invoicing ............................................................. ................................. 255
Configuring Sirius for Periodic Invoices ..................... ................................. 255
Generating Periodic Invoicing from Rental Contracts . ................................. 256
Generating Periodic Invoices in the Accounts Receivable ........................... 257
Handling Pre-Invoicing ..................................................... ................................. 260
Configuring Sirius for Pre-Invoicing ............................ ................................. 260
Generating Pre-Invoices ............................................ ................................. 261
Extending a Rental Contract ...................................... ................................. 263
Applying Credits to Pre-Invoices ................................ ................................. 264
Entering Pre-Invoices in the Accounts Receivable ..... ................................. 265
Recording Payments for Pre-Invoices ........................ ................................. 266
Closing Pre-Invoices .................................................. ................................. 266
Chapter 13 - Managing Reports
Basics ............................................................................... ................................. 269
Understanding Report Criteria .................................... ................................. 269
Generating Reports: Customer Operations Reports ......... ................................. 271
Generating a Customer Operations Report ............... ................................. 271
Generating Reports: Customer Transaction History Reports ............................. 273
Generating a Customer Transaction History Report ... ................................. 273
Interpreting an Invoice History Report ........................ ................................. 274
Interpreting a Lost Rentals Report ............................. ................................. 275
Generating Reports: Statistics Reports ............................. ................................. 276
Generating a Statistics Report ................................... ................................. 276
Generating Reports: Database Information Reports ........ ................................. 278
Generating a Database Information Report ............... ................................. 278
Generating Reports: Customer Reports ........................... ................................. 280
Generating a Customer Report ................................... ................................. 280
Generating Reports: Item Reports .................................... ................................. 282
Generating an Item Report ......................................... ................................. 282
Generating Reports: Supplier Reports .............................. ................................. 284
Generating a Supplier Report .................................... ................................. 284
Generating Reports: Inventory Adjustment Reports ......... ................................. 285
Generating an Inventory Adjustment Report .............. ................................. 285
Generating Reports: Order Reception Reports ................ ................................. 286
Generating an Order Reception Report ..................... ................................. 286
Generating Reports: Financial History Reports ................ ................................. 287
Generating a Closing Report ...................................... ................................. 287
Generating a Financial History Report ....................... ................................. 287
Serialized Item Profitability Report ............................. ................................. 288
Chapter 14 - Sharing Data
Exporting Data from Sirius................................................. ................................. 291
Exporting Customer, Item or Supplier Information from Sirius ...................... 291
Exporting Purchase Order Information from Sirius ..... ................................. 293
Importing Data to Sirius ..................................................... ................................. 294
Importing Branch Customer or Supplier Information from Sirius................... 294
Creating Item Key Words ............................................ ................................. 295
Exporing Sirius Data to Microsoft Office Applications........ ................................. 296
Setting Up an OBDC Link to Siriius............................. ................................. 296
Using SIrius Data to do a Mass Mailing in Microsoft Word ........................... 297
Using SIrius Data in Microsoft Excel ........................... ................................. 298
Chapter 15 - Peripheral Devices
ID Scan.............................................................................. ................................. 301
Configurating the ScanShell Properties ..................... ................................. 301
ID Scan Configuration from Sirius............................... ................................. 306
ID Scan Configuration on Remote Desktop Connection ............................... 307
ID Scan Configuration on Remote Desktop from Sirius ............................... 308
Scanning ID Card into Customer Mangement Screen ................................. 309
Viewing the Scanned ID in a Transaction .................. ................................. 311
Signature Pad..................................................................... .................................. 312
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote Desktop Connection .................... 312
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote Desktop from Sirius ..................... 313
Positioning the Electronic Signature on a Report ....... ................................. 314
Creating the Electronic Signature on a Rental Contract .............................. 315
PC Charge ......................................................................... .................................. 317
PC Charge Configuation from Sirius .......................... ................................. 317
Apply transactions with PCCharge from Sirius .......... ................................. 319
Credit Card Report ..................................................... ................................. 320
PCCharge Warning Messages from Sirius ................ ................................. 321
Chapter 16 - Batch Scanning
Configuring the Batch Scan Properties ............................... ................................. 323
Entering Quantities for a Serialized Item on a Quotation .... .................................. 325
Assigning Bulk and Serialized Items on a Rental Contract .. .................................. 327
Appendix - Branch Configuration
Rates ................................................................................ ................................. 331
Setting Up Surcharge Rates ...................................... ................................. 331
Forms ............................................................................... ................................. 334
Setting Up Printers for Forms ..................................... ................................. 334
Configuring General Form Settings ............................ ................................. 336
Customer Transactions .................................................... ................................. 338
Setting Customer Transaction Options ...................... ................................. 338
Inventory Labels ............................................................... ................................. 346
Configuring Labels for Sales Items ............................ ................................. 346
Accounting ........................................................................ ................................. 347
Setting Up GL Accounts for a Branch ......................... ................................ 347
Configuring Data Transfer to and From Accounting Software ...................... 348
General Operations .......................................................... ................................. 349
Configuring General Operations for a Branch ............ ................................. 349
Data Import/Export ........................................................... ................................. 353
Setting Up Data Import and Exports ................................. ................................. 353
Chapter 1
Introducing Sirius
This chapter introduces you to the Sirius software application,
highlights the latest features and explains how to contact Orion
software for technical support.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Introduction
•
New Features in this Version
•
Conventions Used in the Documentation
•
Contact Us
7
In t r o du c in g S ir iu s
In t r o du c ti on
Introduction
Sirius was developed with input from industry leaders and,
combined with our 20 years of experience, we have created a
powerful, flexible, yet easy to use and learn rental solution.
Sirius advantages
•
Monitor pick-ups and returns, quickly and efficiently
•
Profit from automatic price and tax calculation, while keeping
special agreements for each customer in mind
•
Avoid double bookings that are disastrous to your customers and
your reputation
•
Eliminate time consuming tasks such as manual form entries
(reservations, contracts, invoices, statements of account…)
•
Invoice professionally, in your customer’s language
•
Monitor customer credit limits, special instructions and accounts
receivable efficiently
•
Access the location and availability of your equipment at all times
•
Efficiently manage equipment operations and availability in
several branches, in real time
•
Prevent oversights and lost add-on sales, thanks to our Kit and
Accessories Management
•
Instantly access a detailed customer rental and equipment
history
•
Track maintenance, repairs and depreciation for all your
equipment
Prerequisites
Before you start using Sirius you should be familiar with the
Windows operating system.
S iri us U se r Gu id e
8
New Features in this Version
If you’re already familiar with Sirius, you’ll notice right away that
this latest version brings you many significant additions.
■ Staff Management
This new complete module allows you to manage resources
assigned to deliver, install operate, and dismantle your customer
orders. These resources can be your technical employees,
drivers, and material resources such as trucks or lifts. Allows you
to maintain a detailed file per technician, including phone, email,
and detailed expertise.
You then assign your team or trucks to your transactions, each
staff member with its own date and time and special instructions.
A staff sheet is available by employee and by transaction.
Finally, in order to assign your team and better manage logistics,
you can view the availability of your team in a calendar, by range
of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, half day or day.
■ Calendar Functions
You asked for it and here it is! When entering a date in all
windows, you now have an integrated calendar that also indicates
the days and allow for fast and efficient date entry.
■ New Drill-Down Functions
•
Makes Sirius Pro even easier to use than before!
•
Everywhere you see a transaction summary, double-click on
the line, and the transaction is displayed.
•
Available in Customer monitor, all inquiry windows, customer
and item histories…
•
All windows are now interlinked for a fast and efficient access
to information.
■ Pricing Information in Calendar
Availability calendar now shows daily price to make it easier to
substitute products in quotations or reservations, or to finalize a
sale with customers.
9
In t r o du c in g S ir iu s
Ne w F ea t ure s in th is Vers io n
■ Improved Links between Windows
The idea here is to allow fast and efficient access to information
on different windows. We now link all customer windows
(customer database, customer monitor, customer console,
customer help window) and all item windows (item database,
consult transactions, item help window). This link allows you to
select a customer or an item on one window, and then select
another linked window which will automatically provide the
information of that customer (or item) on the new window.
Simple, fast, and efficient!
■ New Inquiry Window
•
Consult transactions - put an item on window and see all
transactions pertaining to this equipment
•
Customer console – put a customer on the window and
visualize all current and past transactions of a customer.
Finalize quotations when customer inquire about a
reservation status or view at a glance the customer behavior,
from quotes to reservations to actual contracts (in history)
•
Contract console – put a contract on the window and view
where it comes from (quotation and reservation) and all
invoices pertaining to it.
•
...and with full drill-down functionality!
■ New Operational Reports
In order to facilitate logistics and pre-payment collection, we
added the following customer operation reports:
•
List of reservations – summary
•
List of quotations – summary It is now possible to group
several orders via the User defined field #1 (Truck) in order to
facilitate the delivery of several similar orders on the same
truck (tables & chairs, for example). This feature is activated
in the Branch setting and the new report is:
•
Cumulative reservation report
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
10
■ Salesman History Report
In order to allow for efficient salesperson activity tracking and
provide the tools to calculate commissions, Sirius Pro now offer a
complete salesperson tracking system.
•
Salesperson is assigned for each customer in the customer
file (conditions window)
•
Salesperson is assigned to each transaction
ŒDelivery window
ŒDefault to customer’s assigned salesperson
•
Several sales history invoice reports are now offered
ŒSales per salesclerk – Summary
ŒSales per salesclerk – Summary
ŒSales per salesclerk – Detailed
■ New Sales History report
•
By items
ŒItem Revenue Summary – Sales
ŒItem Revenue Summary – Rentals
ŒSerialized Item Revenue – Sales
ŒSerialized Item Revenue – Rentals
ŒSerialized item profitability
•
By customers
ŒCustomer historical summary
ŒCustomer historical summary by zip code
ŒSales by customer – Detailed
■ ID-Scan Integration
•
The ID-Scan allows you to scan your customer’s driver’s
license. Sirius Pro will take a picture of the license, as well as
a close-up of the face, and extracts name and address to fill in
the customer’s database file.
•
Call customer support for more details!
■ Improved Maintenance Management
•
In the maintenance window we can now enter the meter at
last maintenance and a new report, Repair History by Item, is
now available.
•
With these new tools, you can monitor past history and plan
future preventive maintenance of your equipment.
11
In t r o du c in g S ir iu s
Ne w F ea t ure s in th is Vers io n
■ Customer Repair Follow-up
•
Customer equipment repair can now be monitored. This new
feature allow you to maintain the customer’s equipment
identification (make, model, serial number) on every work
order and provide a history of all work performed on this
equipment.
•
Perfect to maintain a repair history of your customer’s
equipment and follow-up warranties.
•
Activate in Branch management and report is available in
Customer History, Repair History by item.
■ Batch Scanning
•
In order to facilitate and improve accuracy in transaction
processing, you can now “batch scan” products when
preparing or returning an order.
•
Please contact customer support to discuss its potential
implementation in your corporation.
■ Improved Flexible Pricing
•
Available in the tool price scheme (price per 1hr, 4hrs, day,
week, month…)
•
Allows you to set a specific price list per item per customer
•
This new feature allows you to maintain the same short term
pricing and offer a deal on monthly rentals to certain
customers, as an example.
•
Special Pricing will be shown on transactions in yellow
•
An interesting alternative to discounting.
■ Lead & Lag Time Management
•
Between transactions, some equipment may need preparation
and dismantle time. In order to allow Sirius Pro to keep
enough time between two transactions, you can now activate
lead/lag time management and set these delays in the item
file (purchase window).
■ Improved Multi-branch Availability
•
In addition to providing a multi-branch availability window or
been able to view each branch in the availability calendar,
Sirius Pro now allows you to select multi-branch availability
verification. This new feature will verify equipment availability
within all branches before warning you of a non-availability.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
12
This facilitates management of closely located multi-branch
operations, maintaining efficient availability status without the
need to enter stock transfers between branches.
■ Simplified Serialized Inventory Control
•
Warning when creating a serialized item with a serial number
that already exists, in order to facilitate the management of
large serialized inventory.
■ Improved Item Import Function
•
The item import function now allows for the import of UPC’s
and selling price
•
An alternative to automatic price calculation
•
Sirius Pro already offered the import of items, description,
costs, with suppliers and categories set in bulk. A perfect tool
for automatically managing parts and supplies.
•
This system is an add-on module (Optional).
■ New Sale Pricing Scheme
•
You can now manage multiple decimals on your sale price.
•
Allows for easy management of gas sales, as an example
(3 decimals).
•
Sirius Pro now uses the amount of decimals set in Windows
for prices.
■ New Forms
•
Development of 25 new customer form layouts
•
Sirius Pro now offers over 100 form layouts and you can
select different ones per station and per function (delivery
slip, reservation…). How flexible!
■ Customers’ Birthday
•
New birthday management that will notify you of a customer’s
birthday when they come to your store. Helps add a personal
touch to your service!
■ Multi-currency Management
Do you deal with another country? This advanced feature will
allow you to maintain your price list in one main currency and
invoice in another, for certain contracts. Payments are received in
any of the two currencies and gain and loss on exchange rates
are calculated and accounted for automatically.
13
In t r o du c in g S ir iu s
Ne w F ea t ure s in th is Vers io n
■ Credit card processing
You can now scan and manually edit a customer’s credit card
when creating or editing a transaction. This adds another layer of
security to your rentals.
■ Improved exception messages
When entering a transaction with a null period.
■ Email distribution of customer statements
You can now define the method of statement delivery, in the
conditions window, for each customer.
•
Options are printed (mailed) or emailed.
•
Selecting the latter will automatically send the customer’s
statement via email (PDF file sent via Microsoft Outlook)
when generating the statement’s batch.
•
You could save up to $1 per statement per month with this
feature!
■ Improved Maintenance Features
•
Transaction and work table verification are now grouped for
complete and proper verification in case of power failure
during daily data entry.
■ Enhanced history performances
•
You can now maintain a history of 1 Gigabyte, allowing for
keeping at hand decades of historical information. No need to
purge or archive!
■ Pre-numbered Form Management
In some countries, delivery slips and invoices are pre-numbered.
This demands the integration of these reference numbers in all
accounting and accounts receivable windows. This is now
completely supported by Sirius.
■ Improved Accounting Exports
•
We can now export invoices to Acomba, in order to manage
accounts receivable in that system
•
Vendor is now exported to QuickBooks, in order to easily
manage tax reports and check emission.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
14
Conventions Used in the Documentation
When reading the User Guide, it’s important to understand the
symbol and formatting conventions used in the documentation.
The following conventions are used in the Guide.
■
Indicates the start of step-by-step instructions. All
step-by-step instructions are numbered so the
steps needed to complete a task are easily
identifiable.
Š
The diamond indicates the first-level of sub-steps
in a procedure.
Œ
The plus-sign indicates the second-level of
sub-steps in a procedure.
•
Bullets are used to specify lists.
Boldface type
All references to the names of menus, fields,
buttons and icons are in boldface type.
For example: "Click the Modify button, or click OK.
""
Quotation marks indicate an action you must
perform.
For example: In the Language field, select the
Suppliers preferred language—"English",
"French" or "Other".
Italicized type
Italicized type indicates a cross-reference to other
material in the Guide.
ALL CAPITALS
Window and Dialog boxes are capitalized.
The tack icon indicates special information in the
form of notes and reminders.
The exclamation mark icon indicates
Important information and warnings.
The lightbulb icon indicates tips on how to perform
a task or action.
15
In t r o du c in g S ir iu s
Co n tac ti n g Us
Contacting Us
If you encounter a problem while using the software, you can
contact us to get the help you require.
Telephone: (514) 484-9661
Toll Free: 1-877-755-2012
Fax: (514) 484-1339
E-mail: [email protected]
Address:
6000 Côte-des-Neiges Suite 240
Montreal, Quebec
H3S 1Z8
Canada
Chapter 2
Installing Sirius
This chapter shows you how to install Sirius on a network Server,
workstation and standalone PC.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter.
•
Standalone Installations and Network Installations
•
Upgrading Sirius from an Earlier Version
•
Checking Workstation and Server Requirements
•
Performing Pre-Installation or Upgrade Procedures
•
Installing Sirius on a Standalone Workstation
•
Installing Sirius on a Network Server
•
Installing Sirius on Client Workstations
•
Granting Network Access to Sirius
•
Borland Database Engine Setup
•
Setting up the Sirius Database
•
Upgrading Sirius on a Standalone PC
•
Upgrading Sirius on a Network
•
Performing Post-Installation Procedures
17
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
Ch e cki n g Wo r k sta ti on an d S e r ve r R eq u ir e me n ts
Checking Workstation and Server
Requirements
Before installing Sirius, make sure you have the software and
hardware you need to use the application. The following are
required:
•
Pentium II 400 MHz PC computer with a CD-ROM drive
•
Monitor with 640 x 480 video resolution with 16-bit color display
(or higher)
•
64 megabytes of RAM
•
Operating Systems:
Sirius is not available for
Windows® 3.1 and
Macintosh operating
systems.
•
•
Windows 95
•
Windows 98
•
Windows ME
•
Windows NT (Server & Station)
•
Windows 2000 (Server & Professional)
•
Windows XP
•
Windows Vista
Network Setup:
•
Use only the TCP / IP protocol Deactivate the other protocols
(NetBeui, IPX / SPX)
•
Use fixed addresses : 192,168,0.xx (xx = 1,2,3, …)
•
Mask : 255.255.255.0
•
If using a Novell server, please contact us for your setup.
•
Windows registry: In order to assure the proper working of
your software, you must run a program to update your
Windows registry on all computers (server and stations)
running under the following operating systems : NT / 2000 /
XP You will find this program on your installation CD :
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
18
Installing Sirius on a Network Server
1
Insert the Sirius CD in the CD-ROM drive.
2
Choose Windows Start > Run.
The RUN dialog box will appear displaying SETUP.EXE
in the Open box.
IMPORTANT: Your first
installation must be done
on the server.
3
Click OK.
The CHOOSE DESTINATION window will appear.
4
Accept the default Destination Directory: C:\Program
Files\Sirius, or, if you wish to install to a different folder, click
the Browse button and select another folder.
19
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
In sta ll in g Sir iu s on a N et w o rk Ser ver
5
Click Next.
The SETUPTYPE window will appear.
6
To return to a previous
window, just click on the
Back button. To exit the
installation, click Cancel.
Click Custom and then click Next.
The SELECT COMPONENTS window will appear.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
7
20
Do the following:
ŠLeave the box beside Server checked.
ŠClick the box beside Station to remove the check mark.
8
Click Next. The START COPYING FILES window will appear.
9
Click Next.
The server must be
checked to run Sirius from
the server. Do not check
both boxes
simultaneously.
The install program will begin copying files. Once finished, the
SETUP COMPLETE window appears.
10 Click Finish to complete the installation.
21
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
In sta ll in g S ir iu s on C li en t Wo r ks tat io n s
Installing Sirius on Client Workstations
1
Insert the Sirius CD in the CD-ROM drive.
2
Choose Windows Start > Run.
The RUN dialog box will appear displaying SETUP.EXE
in the Open box.
IMPORTANT: Your first
installation must be done
on the server.
3
Click OK.
The CHOOSE DESTINATION window will appear.
4
Accept the default Destination Directory: C:\Program
Files\Sirius, or, if you wish to install to a different folder, click
the Browse button and select another folder.
5
Click Next.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
The SETUP TYPE window will appear.
To return to a previous
window, just click on the
Back button. To exit the
installation, click Cancel.
6
Click Custom and then click Next.
The SELECT COMPONENTS window will appear.
7
Do the following:
ŠLeave the box beside Station checked.
ŠClick the box beside Server to remove the check mark.
22
23
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
In sta ll in g S ir iu s on C li en t Wo r ks tat io n s
8
Click Next. The START COPYING FILES window will appear.
9
Click Next.
The install program will begin copying files. Once finished, the
SETUP COMPLETE window appears.
10 Click Finish to complete the installation.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
24
Installing Sirius on a Standalone PC
1
From the Windows desktop make sure all open programs are
closed.
2
Insert the Sirius CD in the CD-ROM drive.
3
Choose Windows Start > Run.
The RUN dialog box will appear displaying SETUP.EXE
in the Open box.
4
Click OK.
The CHOOSE DESTINATION window will appear.
25
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
In sta ll in g Sir iu s on a Sta nd a lo ne PC
5
Accept the default Destination Directory: C:\Program
Files\Sirius, or, if you wish to install to a different folder, click
the Browse button and select another folder.
Click Next. The SETUP TYPE window will appear.
To return to a previous
window, just click on the
Back button. To exit the
installation, click Cancel.
6
Leave Typical selected and then click Next. The START
COPYING FILES window will appear.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
7
26
Click Next.
The install program will begin copying files. Once finished, the
SETUP COMPLETE window appears.
8
Click Finish to complete the installation.
27
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
Gran t in g N et w o rk Ac ces s to Siri us
Granting Network Access to Sirius
In order to be able to use Sirius, each one of your users needs to
have full access to the Sirius folder on your network.
■ To Grant Network Access to Sirius:
1
On your server, right click on the Sirius folder and select
Properties. Select Sharing from the menu.
2
Click on Share As and enter "Sirius: " as the share name.
3
In the access type, select Full Access.
4
Do not enter any password. Everyone needs full access
without a password.
5
If you’re running on Windows NT, you ’ll also need to specify
the users that will have access to this shared folder. Select
Everyone, or ask your network administrator to add all the
necessary users to the list.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
28
Borland Database Engine Setup
This step will configure the access to your database and must be
done on every computer that will be using Sirius (including the
server). *** The process is exactly the same for each computer.
■ To open the Borland Database Engine (BDE):
1
Click on your START button.
2
Click on SETTINGS.
3
Click on CONTROL PANNEL.
4
Double-click on the BDE ADMINISTRATOR icon.
5
Click on the DATABASES tab.
6
If you see a plus sign (+) on the left of Databases, click on it to
expand it.
7
Click on Conversion. This must be a single left-click on the
word Conversion.
8
Click on the box to the right of Path and enter the location of
the Conversion folder located on your server. Use the full
network path as the example.
9
Click on Locatout so that it is highlighted.This must be a single
left-click on the word Locatout.
10 Click on the box to the right of Path and enter the location of
the Data folder located on your server.Use the same format as
in the example.
11 Click on Sirius so that it is highlighted.This must be a single
left-click on the word Sirius.
12 Click on the box to the right of Path and enter the location of
the Data folder located on your server.Use the same format as
the example.
13 Click on the Configuration tab.
14 If you see a plus (+) sign to the left of Configuration, click on it
to expand it.
15 Click on the plus (+) sign to the left of Drivers.
29
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
Bo r l an d D atab a se E n g in e S et u p
16 Click on the plus (+) sign to the left of Native.
17 Click on Paradox so that it is highlighted. You must do a single
left-click on the word Paradox.
18 Click in the box to the right of Net Dir and enter the path
leading to the Locks folder located onyour server. Use the full
network path as the example.
19 If you see a plus (+) sign to the left of SYSTEM, click on it to
expand it.
20 Click on INIT so that it is highlighted.You must do a single leftclick on the word INIT.
21 Click in the box to the right of Local Share and select True
using the arrow.
22 Close the BDE window using the x located in the top right
corner or by selecting Object and than Exit in the menu.
23 You will get a first Warning window, answer Yes to the
question asking if you want to save.
24 In the second Warning window, just answer YES.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
30
Setting Up the Sirius Database
In this part of the installation, we’ll setup the database files of
your software. This will ensure that you are working with the
proper file structure and that the paths are correctly identified.
This setup does not need to be done on every computer. You can
do it from any computer that has an unrestricted access to the
Sirius folder located on your Server.
■ To Set Up the Database:
1
Open the Sirius folder located on your Server.
2
Open the Util folder and the Double-click on DBD32.exe icon.
3
From the Database Desktop menu, click on File and then on
Working Directory.
4
In the Working Directory field, enter the path to your Data
folder, as you did in the setup of the BDE Administrator.
5
Click on the OK button. This button will only be available once
a valid path has been entered in the Working Directory field.
6
Click on File, Open and Table.
7
Find the file called DChemin then click on Open.
8
Click on the Edit Data button located on the top of the window.
9
Go to the CSuccPath field and replace the information with
the path to your Data file as you did in the setup of the BDE
Administrator.
10 Click on File, Open and Table.
The Edit Data button
looks like a pencil located
on the toolbar.
11 Find the file called DSucc then click on Open.
12 Click on the Edit Data button located on the top of the window.
13 Go to the CSuccPath field and replace the information with
the path to your Data file as you did in the setup of the BDE
Administrator.
14 Open the Sirius folder located on your Server.
15 Open the Util folder.
31
In sta ll in g Sir iu s
S et t in g U p t he S i r iu s Da tab as e
16 Open the UpdateTables located on the Utlil folder.
17 Double-click on the UpdateTables.exe icon.
18 Click on the Update button.
19 When you get the Operation Completed message, click on
the OK button.
Chapter 3
Starting Sirius
This chapter introduces you to User levels and shows you how to
start Sirius for the first time. Instructions for changing User IDs,
Passwords and Language are also included.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Obtaining a Key Number
•
Starting Sirius for the First Time
•
Viewing the Sirius Main Window
•
Changing Your User ID
•
Changing Your Password
•
Changing the Language Settings
•
Quitting Sirius
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
Obtaining a Key Number
The first time you start Sirius, you’ll be required to obtain a Key
Number which is used to unlock the application.
■ To Obtain a Key Number:
1
Choose one of the following methods to open Sirius:
ŠChoose Windows Start > All Programs >Sirius.
ŠDouble-click the Sirius icon
on your desktop.
The SECURITY dialog box will appear.
2
To activate Sirius, you’ll need to obtain a Key Number that
matches the Lock Number shown. Call Orion Software at
(877) 755-2012, Monday to Friday, between 9:00 A.M. and
5:00 P.M. E.S.T.
3
Once you’ve obtained the Key Number, type it in the
Key Number field and click OK. See Starting Sirius for the
First Time on page 34.
33
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
Starting Sirius for the First Time
1
Choose one of the following methods to open Sirius:
ŠChoose Windows Start > All Programs >Sirius.
ŠDouble-click the Sirius icon on your desktop.
The USER VERIFICATION dialog box will appear.
2
In the User field, type "USER1".
3
In the Password field, type "Orion".
4
Click OK.
The MAIN window will appear. See “Viewing the Sirius Main
Window” on page 35.
If you’re a multi-branch
organization, you can
select the applicable
Branch once you’ve set
these up in Sirius. See
"Appendix A - Branch
Configuration"
See also "Creating User IDs" on page 65".
34
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
35
Viewing the Sirius Main Window
The Main window contains the menus used to perform all of your
tasks. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the window and
then review the descriptions that follow.
Main Title Bar
Menu Bar
Status Bar
■ Main Title Bar
The main title bar displays the name "Sirius". It also contains the
standard Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons found in all
Windows-based applications.
■ Menu Bar
The menu bar contains pull-down menus for each Sirius module.
The menus contain commands that are used to perform different
module tasks.
ŠTo open a menu, click the menu title.
ŠTo start a command, click the command in the pull-down
menu. If a command is followed by a black arrow (>),
that command contains additional menu selections.
■ Status Bar
The status bar displays the time and the active Branch (for multibranch organizations).
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
36
Changing Your User ID
When using Sirius for the first time, you should use USER1 (2,3,4)
to access the program. For reduced user rights, you may also use
S1 (2,3,4) or M1 (2,3,4). Each user level has its own access to
screens and menus. You should try them out to get familiar with
each of them.
■ To Change User ID:
1
Choose Change user from the File menu.
The USER VERIFICATION dialog box will appear.
2
In the User field, type a another "User ID".
3
In the Password field, type "Orion". See “Changing Your
Password” on page 37.
4
Click OK.
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
37
Changing Your Password
You can change your password at anytime, but for security
reasons we recommend you change it immediately after
starting Sirius for the first time.
■ To Change Your Password:
1
Choose Change password from the File menu.
The CHANGE PASSWORD dialog box appears.
2
In the Previous Password field, type your current password.
3
In the New Password field, type a new password.
4
In the Confirm field, retype your new password.
5
Click OK.
Changing the Language Setting
You can change the language used when working within the Sirius
application.
■ To Change the Language:
1
Choose Lanugage from the File menu.
2
Choose one of the following:
•
"Francais" - French
•
"English" - English
•
"Espanol" - Spanish
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
Quitting Sirius
1
Choose Quit from the File menu.
A message will appear, stating "Quit Sirius?"
2
Click OK.
38
S iriu s U ser Gui d e
39
Chapter 4
Configuring Sirius
This chapter shows you how to set up your basic configuration
information for use in Sirius. For instructions on how to configure
each of your branches, See "Appendix A - Branch Configuration".
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
General System Configuration
•
Taxes
•
Price Groups
•
Customer Configuration
•
Item Configuration and Depreciation
•
User ID Configuration
41
Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
General System Configuration
Entering General Company Information
You can add general information about your company such as
name, address, bank accounts, date format and the language(s)
you use to conduct your business.
■ To Enter General Company Information:
1
Choose Branches - General Information Environment from
the Configuration menu.
The GENERAL INFORMATION - ENVIRONMENT window will
appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
Move through the fields and enter the information for your
company and each branch location.
A description of each field is shown on the following page.
4
Once you’ve finished, click OK
5
Click Quit.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
42
General Information
Company Name
The legal name of your company
Address
Enter the primary address for your
company including telephone and fax
numbers.
Tax 1 and Tax 2
Enter any tax numbers assigned to your
company by the tax authorities. The
numbers you enter in these fields will
appear on the invoices generated in
Sirius.
Bank
The name of the bank with whom your
company or branch conducts their
financial transactions. This information
is used when printing your deposit slip
in Sirius.
Account #
Bank account number.
Inter-Access No.
A unique number that identifies the
bank and branch.
Environment
You must select a
different language for
each of the three
language fields shown,
even if you intend to use
only one language.
The language specified in
the Master Language,
Language 2 and
Language 3 fields will be
used when entering
comments on the
Comments 1, 2 and 3
tabs in Item Management.
See “Comments Tab” on
page 63.
Master Language
Enter the primary language you want to
use in Sirius—English, French or Other.
Language 2
Enter a second preferred language.
This is the language that will be used
when you complete the Comments 2
tab on ITEM MANAGEMENT window.
Language 3
Enter a third preferred language.This
language that will be used when you
complete the Comments 3 tab on the
ITEM MANAGEMENT window.
Date Format
Specify the date format you wish to use
in Sirius.
Time Format
Leave the "U.S" format (5:00 PM)
selected, or click and select the
International time format (1700 hrs).
43
Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
Adding Salesclerks
Salesclerks are employees who are responsible for processing
client operations (rental contracts or sales invoices) within the
Sirius software.
■ To Add a Salesclerk:
1
Choose Salesclerks from the Configuration menu.
The SALESCLERK MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Salesclerk Code field, type a unique code for the
Salesclerk you are adding.
The Salesclerk Code can contain alpha characters, numeric
characters or a combination of both.
It is recommended that
you use numeric codes
(rather than alpha) to
avoid duplication.
4
In the Description field, type the Salesclerk’s name.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
44
Creating Cash Registers
Registers are cash registers or cash drawers that are used by
salesclerks to process sales and deposit money.
■
1
To Create Cash Registers:
Choose Cash Register from the Configuration menu.
The CASH REGISTER MANAGEMENT window will appear.
You must create at least
one Cash Register before
you can operate Sirius.
A different Cash Register
must be created for each
cash drawer. This will
help you balance each
drawer individually at the
end of the day.
2
Click Add.
If you do not want your Salesclerks selecting the Cash
Register everytime they process a transaction, leave or create
a Cash Register called Cash Code "1". Sirius will
automatically use this Cash Register as the default and will
not prompt your Salesclerks to select a Cash Register.
3
In the Cash Register Code field, type a unique code for the
Cash Register you are creating. "Cash 1" is the default.
The code can contain alpha characters, numeric characters or
a combination of both.
4
In the Description field, type the name assigned to the
register or it’s location.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
45
Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
Configuring GL Accounts in Sirius
You must define some of your General Ledger accounts in Sirius
to ensure that your daily transactions are properly processed for
accounting purposes.
List of Accounts
Here is the list of accounts that should exist in Sirius:
Assets
You do not have to enter
all of your General Ledger
accounts, only those that
would likely be affected
by any transaction
processed in Sirius.
Collect - Cash
Collect - Check
Collect - Master Card
Collect - Visa
Collect - American Express
Collect - Debit Direct
Accounts Receivable
Accumulated Depreciation
Inter-company Transfer (if you operate in multi-branch mode)
Liabilities
Customer Deposits
G.S.T. on Sales (Canada only)
P.S.T. on Sales (Canada only)
Revenues
Rental Revenue
Damage Waiver
Rental Discount
Supplies Sales
Disposal Revenue – Equipment
Shipping Revenue
Cleaning Revenue
Sales Revenue – New Equipment
Interest Revenue
Sales Discount
Labor Revenue
Payment Discount
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
46
Expenses
Depreciation – Equipment
Bad Debts
GL Numbering System
Your GL account numbering system must consist of at least four
numbers. This allows for enough space between each account to
insert new ones should the need arise.
Here is a possible example of structure for your chart of accounts:
Assets
Liabilities
Capital
Revenue
COGS
Other Expenses
1xxx
2xxx
3xxx
4xxx
5xxx
6xxx
It is also recommended that you use a different Ledger for each
type of revenue. This will highlight the profitability for each type of
activity
■ To Configure GL Accounts in Sirius:
1
Choose G/L Accounts from the Configuration menu.
The G/L ACCOUNTS MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
47
Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
If you’ll be exporting
entries from Sirius to an
accounting application
such as QuickBooks,
make sure the G/L
Description you use in
Sirius is the same as the
ones you entered in your
accounting software.
3
In the G/L Code field, type the code for the General Ledger
Account you are defining.
4
In the Description field, type the name of the General Ledger
Account.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
48
Setting Up Methods of Payment
Sirius allows you to set up the method of payments you will accept
when processing rental and sales transactions.
■ To Set Up a Method of Payment:
1
Choose Methods of Payment from the Configuration Menu.
The METHODS OF PAYMENT window will appear.
For each method of
payment you set up you
must create a
corresponding G/L
account. See “Configuring
GL Accounts in Sirius” on
page 45. Important for
bank reconciliation at the
end of the month.
Cash Balancing allows
you to keep a detailed
account of monies
collected for each method
of payment. You can then
generate a detailed Cash
Balancing report and
compare the amounts
collected with those that
appear on your
transactions.
2
In the Payment Code field, type a unique code to distinguish
between methods of payment.
3
In the Description field, type a description of the method of
payment, e.g. Visa, MasterCard, etc.
4
In the G/L field, either type the G/L code to which the method
of payment will be assigned, or click the Search
icon and
select one from the list.
5
In the Balancing Type field, select the type of balancing
desired for this method of payment. This information is used
when generating detailed cash balancing reports.
•
None: Keeps separate records of total amounts collected for
this method of payment. In the detailed cash balancing report,
this method of payment appears in the “Other methods of
payment” section. “None” usually designates methods of
payment other than cash or check (Credit cards and debit
direct).
49
Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
6
•
Overall: As with “None,” “Overall” keeps separate records of
total amount collected for this method of payment. In the
detailed cash balancing report, this method of payment
appears in the first section with the detailed total. “Overall”
usually designates payments made by check.
•
Detailed: Unlike the other two balancing types, this function
allows for detailed entries for monies collected. For example,
100$, 50$, 20$, 10$, 5$, 2$, 1$ or Change). The amount
entered first appears fully detailed, then is summarized in the
overall section where it is added to the totals of the other
methods of payment. “Detailed” can be used to designate
cash payments.
In the Deposited field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave "Yes" selected if the amount deposited for the
method of payment must be entered.
The amount deposited for
each method of payment
will appear on the cash
balancing report.
ŠClick the down-arrow button and select "No" if the
amount deposited does not need to be entered.
7
In the Funds field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave "Yes" selected if funds are maintained for this
method of payment.
ŠClick the down-arrow button and select "No" if the
amount deposited does not need to be entered.
8
In the Balancing Level field, select one of the following to
indicate the level of detail on which the cash balancing will be
performed:
Š Branch to balance cash drawers at the Branch level.
Š Cash to balance cash drawers individually.
Š Salesclerk to balance cash drawers by salesclerk.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
50
Taxes
Setting Up Tax Groups
You can create Tax Groups within Sirius that will allow you to
apply and calculate the various taxes you collect on each sale.
■ To Set Up a Tax Group:
For each required tax you
must create a G/L liability
account that will keep
accounting records for the
taxes collected on sales
that are to be paid to
different governments
(GST, PST, State and
Local taxes).
Setting the tax field to
"Yes" will make this tax
taxable on another tax
(Only applies in Quebec)
Do not include decimal
points when entering a
percentage in the Rates
field. For example, if you
were adding the GST
rate, you would type "6",
not "0.6"
.
1
Choose Tax Groups from the Configuration menu.
The TAX GROUPS MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Tax Code field, type a unique code that identifies the tax
you are adding.
4
In the Description field, type the name of the tax. The
description should be short, since it will appear in a limited
space on all transaction forms.
5
In the Rates field, type the applicable rate percentage.
6
In the G/L field select the General Ledger account code to
which the tax will be charged:
ŠIf you know the G/L account code to be charged, type it
in the field.
ŠIf you do not know the code, click the Search
and select one from the list.
icon
7
In the Taxable field, leave "No" selected to indicate that the
rates for the Tax Group you are creating is not taxable by
another tax. Select "Yes" to set it to be taxable for this Tax
Group.
8
Click OK and then Quit.
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Ch a pt er 4 Co n f ig ur in g S i r iu s
Pri ce Gro u ps
Price Groups
Creating Price Groups
You can create Price Groups within Sirius that will specify the
price a customer will pay to purchase a product, or rent an item
(tarification 2 or 3 only). Creating price groups allows you to
manage multiple prices lists which can help you stay competitive
in a variety of markets.
The number of Price Groups you can create corresponds to the
number off price levels (1-5) found on the ITEMS MANAGEMENT
window. See “Creating an Item Category” on page 61.
■
1
To Set Up Price Groups:
Choose Price Groups from the Configuration menu.
The PRICE GROUPS MANAGEMENT window will appear.
You must create at least
one Price Group and it
must be identified as "1"
in the Price Code field.
Any subsequent groups
you add must be
numbered "2", "3", "4"
and 5, respectively.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Price Code field, type the applicable code — "1", "2",
"3", "4" or "5".
4
In the Description field, type a name that identifies the price
group.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
Si riu s Us er G ui d e
52
Entering Surcharge Rates
Sirius allows you to enter the surcharge rates that will be charged
to the customer for each additional hour, day or week the item is
rented.
For example, in the sample window below, Sirius has been set up
to charge "0.125" or "1/8th" of the daily rate for each additional
hour an item is rented by the customer.
■
1
To Enter Surcharge Rates:
Choose Surcharge Rates from the Configuration menu.
The SURCHARGE RATES MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
Move through the SURCHARGE RATES MANAGEMENT
window and modify the existing rates as follows:
ŠIn the Price Day and Hour field, type the fraction of the
regular daily rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional hour the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Day and Day field, type a fraction of the
regular daily rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional day the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Week and Day field, type a fraction of the
regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional day the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Week and Week field, type a fraction of the
regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional week the item is rented.
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Pri ce Gro u ps
ŠIn the Price Month and Day field, type a fraction of the
regular monthly rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional day the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Month and Week field, type a fraction of
the regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer
for each additional week the item is rented.
4
Click OK.
5
Click Quit.
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Customer Configuration
Setting Up Customer Categories
Customer categories are used to group customers who have
similar characteristics. For example, you could set up a separate
customer category for those customers who are subject to the
same tax rules, or for those customers who have open accounts
with your company.
■ To Set Up Customer Categories:
1
Choose Customer Category Management from the
Configuration menu.
The CUSTOMER CATEGORY MANAGEMENT window will
appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Category Code field, type a unique code that identifies
the customer category you are adding.
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Cu s to m er Co n f ig ur at io n
Use the "Other" category
to specify languages
other than English or
French
.
4
In the Description field, type a name that describes the
category of customers you are adding. For example, Cash
Customers, General Service Tax customers, etc.
5
In the Language field, click the down-arrow and select the
language spoken by all customers in the category you are
adding. For example, you could create a separate category for
all French-speaking or English-speaking customers.
6
In the Account Open field, leave "Yes" selected, if the
customers in the category are allowed to open accounts and
be extended credit by your company. If they are not allowed to
open an account, click the down-arrow button and select "No".
7
In the Statement of Account field, leave "No" selected if the
customers in the category you are adding WILL NOT be
provided with monthly statements. If they will be sent account
statements, click the down-arrow button and select "Yes".
8
In the G/L AR field, either type the General Ledger account
code in which the Account Receivables for the customer
category will be calculated, or click the Search
icon and
select one from the list.
9
In the Term field, type the applicable payment term period for
customers in the category. For example, 15, 30, 60 or 120
days.
10 In the Interest Rates field, type the amount of interest to be
charged to the customers in the category when payments are
received after the term period you specified in (9) above.
11 In the Price Group field, either type the Price Group to be
applied to the customer category, or click the Search
icon
and select a price group from the list. See “Creating Price
Groups” on page 51.
12 In the Disc. Group field, either type the Discount Group to be
applied to the customer category, or click the Search
icon
and select a discount group from the list. See “Adding
Customer Discount Groups” on page 57.
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13 In the Tax 1 and 2 fields, either type the tax codes to be
applied to the customer category, or click the Search
icon and select a Tax Code from the list. See “Taxes” on
page 50.
The Tax 1 field should
contain the first tax to be
applied to the customer
category and followed by
the second in Tax 2.
14 In the Insurance Exemption field, leave "No" selected if the
customers in this category are NOT exempt from requiring a
damage waiver on items rented. If the customers are exempt
from the damage waiver requirement, click the down-arrow
button and select "Yes".
15 In the Account Blocked field, select "Yes" if you want to stop
doing business with this category. If the customer category is
not blocked, click the down-arrow button and select "No".
16 Click OK.
Setting Account Blocked
to "Yes" in the category
will make any new
customer within that
category to start with their
account blocked. The
ability to allow for a credit
check and thus having an
authorized personnel unblock it.
17 Click Quit.
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Adding Customer Discount Groups
You can create Customer Discount Groups that allow you to
specify discount rates you want to offer to different customers for
sales, rentals and invoice payments. Each Discount Group you
add is then attached to a customer category. See “Setting Up
Customer Categories” on page 54.
■
1
To Add Customer Discount Groups:
Choose Discount Group Management from the
Configuration menu.
The DISCOUNT GROUP MANAGEMENT window will appear.
There must be at least 1
discount group created
ointing to the right G/L
accounts.
Do not include decimal
points when entering a
percentage in the Rates
field. For example, if you
were adding a 10%
discount rate, you would
type "10", not "10.00", or
"0.10"
2
Click Add.
3
In the Discount Code field, type a unique code that identifies
the discount you are adding.
4
In the Description field, type a name that describes the
discount.
5
In the Sales Rates field, type the applicable discount
percentage you want to apply on sales.
6
In the G/L Sales disc field, either type the G/L account code
that will be used to calculate the sales discount, or click the
Search
icon and select one from the list.
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7
In the Rental Rates field, type the applicable discount
percentage rate you want to apply on rentals.
8
In the G/L Rental disc: field, either type the General Ledger
account code in which the rental discount will be calculated, or
click the Search
icon and select one from the list.
9
In the G/L Payment disc: field, either type the General Ledger
account code in which the payment discount will be
calculated, or click the down-arrow button and select one from
the list.
10 Click OK.
11 Click Quit.
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It em Co n fi gu r a t io n an d D ep r ec ia ti o n
Item Configuration and Depreciation
Setting Up Item Depreciation Tables
You can set up Depreciation tables that allow you to specify the
method to use when calculating depreciation on individual product
items. There are three methods available—Residual, Continuous
and Fixed Amount.
■ To Set Up Item Depreciation Tables:
1
Choose Depreciation Tables from the Configuration menu.
The DEPRECIATION TABLES MANAGEMENT window will
appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Depreciation Code field, type a unique code that
identifies the depreciation method you are setting up.
4
In the Description field, type a name that describes the
depreciation method.
5
In the G/L Expenditure field, either type the G/L account code
that will be used to calculate depreciation costs, or click the
Search
icon and select one from the list.
6
In the G/L Accumul. Deprec field, either type the G/L account
code that will be used to accumulate the depreciation costs, or
click the Search
icon and select one from the list
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In the Method field, click the down-arrow button and select
one of the following methods:
•
Residual calculates the rate on the net value (after
accumulated depreciation) of the equipment.
•
Continuous calculates the depreciation on the initial cost
(non-depreciated) of the equipment.
•
Fixed Amount calculates the depreciation on a fixed amount.
8
In the Rate field, type the depreciation rate percentage if you
are using either the Residual or Continuous methods.
If you are using Fix Amount, you can ignore this field.
9
Click OK.
10 Click Quit.
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It em Co n fi gu r a t io n an d D ep r ec ia ti o n
Creating an Item Category
Item categories are used to group product items which have
similar characteristics. For example, you could create an Item
Category for those items whose revenue source is primarily
rentals or sales, or who share the same profit margin, or who use
the same item depreciation method.
■ To Create an Item Category:
The ITEM CATEGORY MANAGEMENT window will appear.
1
Click Add.
2
In the Category Code field, type a unique code that identifies
the item category you are adding.
3
In the Description field, type a name that describes the item
category you are setting up. For example, Accessories Carpentry, Equipment - Heating and Ventilation, etc.
4
In the G/L Revenue field, either type the General Ledger
account code to which the revenues for the item category will
be charged, or click the Search
icon and select one from
the list.
5
In the G/L Disposal field, either type the General Ledger
account code to which the sales revenue for disposed items in
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this category will be charged, or click the Search
select one from the list.
62
icon and
6
In the Taxable field, leave "Yes" selected if Tax items
belonging to this group with all aplicable taxes, select Tax 1 if
item is only taxed by tax 1 and tax 2 if item is only taxed by tax
2. If not, leave "No" selected if item is tax exempt.
7
In the Insurable field, leave "Yes" selected if a damage waiver
will be required when items in this category are rented.
8
In the Discountable field, leave "Yes" selected if discounts is
given to items belonging to this category. If not, leave "No"
selected to disable discounts to items of this category.
9
In the Depreciation table field, either type the Depreciation
table code that applies to the items in this category, or click
the Search
icon and select a Depreciation Table from the
list.
10 In the Calculate Price field, do one of the following:
Š If you do not want Sirius to calculate the price of an
item when it is sold, leave "No" selected.
Key item should be set to
"Yes" for all rental
categories.
Š If you do, click the down-arrow button and select "Yes".
The Profit Margin table at the bottom of the window will
be activated. Type a margin rate percentage for each of
the five Price Group levels shown.
The Calculate Price option will automatically calculate the
item selling price for each of the five Price Groups by adding
the profit margin specified to the cost of the item. See
“Creating Price Groups” on page 51.
11 In the Key Item field, leave "Yes" selected if you want to
designate all items in the category as "key" items. This option
allows you to limit the items displayed on the Availability
Calendar to "key items", rather than all items in your inventory.
12 In the Purchase Discount Rate field, type the discount rate
offered by the supplier for the items in the category. You would
only complete this field if you were creating an Item category
for each supplier.
13 Click OK and then Quit.
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Us er ID C on f ig u ratio n
User ID Configuration
Creating User IDs
Sirius allows users with administor rights to create User ID with 3
different security levels.
■
1
To Create the User ID:
Choose Users from the Configuration Menu.
THE USERS MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the User Code field, type a user code that uniquely
identifies the user you are adding.
4
In the Name field, type the name of the user.
5
In the Security field, select the security level assign to the
user.
6
In the Password field, type the password assigned to the user
and confirm the password.
7
Click OK.
8
Click Quit.
Chapter 5
Entering Data
This chapter shows you how to enter and manage your
Customers, Items, Suppliers and Staff in the Sirius program.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Managing Customers
•
Managing Suppliers
•
Managing Items
•
Managing Serialized Items
•
Managing Projects
•
Managing Staff
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Managing Customers
Accessing Customer Management
1
Choose Customers from the Data menu.
The CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window will appear.
Adding Customers
You can add each of your Customers to Sirius and specify the
following:
•
General information, such as the Customer’s name, address,
and contact person.
•
Conditions relating to the Customer’s credit, such as terms,
credit line, late payment interest rate, etc.
•
Vehicle information such as the model, year and registration
number.
•
Comments regarding the Customer that will be seen by your
staff, but not by the Customer.
Once you’ve added a customer, you can then manage and modify
their information, as necessary.
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General Information Tab
It is recommended that
you use the customer’s
telephone number for the
Customer code. Do not
include the area code or
hyphen (e.g: 5555555).
Customers will always
remember their telephone
number, which should
make it easier for you to
find their record when
handling an inquiry.
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the Add
button.
2
In the Customer Code field, type a unique code that identifies
the Customer.
3
In the Driver’s License field, type the Customer’s driver’s
license number.
4
In the Name field, type the Customer’s name, (last name first,
e.g.: SMITH JOHN). Notice that the customer’s name now
appears in the Alphabetical field at the bottom of the window.
5
In the Address fields, type the Customer’s address,
telephone, fax and email information.
6
In the Contact field, type the name of the person to contact at
your customer’s business.
7
In the Category field, either type the category to which your
customer belongs, or click the search icon and select one from
the list. See “Setting Up Customer Categories” on page 48 for
a detailed explanation of customer categories.
8
In the Language field, type the customer’s preferred language
of correspondence. This option determines the language in
which contracts, invoices, and so on will be printed.
9
In the Identification fields, type any additional customer
information you may feel is necessary, such as social security
number, etc.
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Conditions Tab
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
Conditions tab, or click OK.
The CONDITIONS tab will appear.
2
In the Allow charge field, leave "Yes" selected if you will be
extending credit to this customer. Otherwise, select "No"
3
In the PO Mandatory field, select "Yes" if you want your staff
to enter the Customer’s purchase order number on all of their
transactions. If not, leave "No’ selected.
4
In the Account blocked field, select "Yes" if you want to block
a customer’s account. Otherwise, leave "No" selected.
Blocking will not allow any new transactions (cash or credit) to
be processed for this customer. Only returns and close
contracts will be permitted in order to recuperate rented
equipment.
5
In the Term field, type the terms of payment in days for this
customer before the account must be settled. For example,
30, 60 or 90 days.
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6
In the Credit Line field, type the maximum amount of credit
the customer is allowed. If a transaction exceeds this limit, a
warning message will appear on window to notify your staff
that the Customer has exceeded their credit limit. It is still
possible, though, for your staff to accept and finalize the
transaction.
7
In the Interest Rate field, type the annual interest rate the
customer will be charged for overdue invoices.
8
If transactions for the customer you are adding are to be
charged to another Customer, either type the other
Customer’s code in the Customer to Invoice field, or click the
Search
icon and select the other customer from the list.
9
In the Statement of Account field, leave "Yes’ selected if a
statement of account must be produced for this customer. If
not, select "No" and a statement of account will not be
produced for the customer.
10 If you selected "Yes" in the Statement of Account field, select
one of the following In the Distribution field:
Š Leave "Printer" selected if the Statement of Account is
to be printed and mailed to the customer.
ŠSelect "E-mail" if the Statement of Account is to be
emailed to the customer.
11 If the customer’s account statement is to be consolidated with
another customer, click the Search
icon in the
Consolidated statement field and select a customer from the
list.
12 In the Salesclerk field, type the name of the salesclerk
assigned to the customer, or click the Search
icon and
select a salesclerk from the list.
13 To specify the Price Group, see “Setting Up Price and
Discount Groups for Customers” on page 75.
14 To specify the Discount Group, see “Setting Up Price and
Discount Groups for Customers” on page 75.
15 To specify the taxes to be charged to the customer, see
“Applying Taxes to Customers” on page 72.
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16 In the Insurance Exemption field, select "Yes’ if the customer
is exempt from purchasing a damage waiver (insurance). If
not, select "No"
17 In the Insurance # field, type the customer’s insurance policy
number.
Vehicle Tab
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the Vehicle
tab, or click OK.
The Vehicle tab will appear.
2
Type the Model, Color and Year of the customer’s vehicle.
3
In the Registration No. field, type the vehicle’s registration
number.
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Comments Tab
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
Comments tab, or click OK.
The COMMENTS tab will appear.
2
In the Comment Text box, type any comments you may have
relating to the customer you are adding.
Keep in mind the following when entering comments:
ŠSince only employees have access to these comments
you may use them to leave important messages
concerning your customers.
ŠThere are no limits to the amount of information that can
be entered into this window, however only the first few
lines will appear in the transaction window. For this
reason it is recommended that you enter the most
important information in the first few lines and add less
important information afterwards.
ŠThe comments recorded here do not appear on ANY
document handed over to a customer. However, the
comments do appear on the CUSTOMER MONITOR
window when entering customer transactions.
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Searching for Customers
You can quickly search for and select existing Customer records.
Once found, you can then view or modify the information.
■
1
To Search for Customers:
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
Search
icon beside the Code field.
The CUSTOMER SEARCH dialog box will appear.
To quickly locate a
Customer record, type the
Customer code in the
Search field and click Go,
or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
2
3
In the Sort field, specify how you want to search, by
•
Customer Code
•
Alpha (Alphabetically
•
Name
•
License
•
Telephone
•
Category
Once you’ve selected a sort method, you can search for the
customer using either of the following methods:
ŠIn the Search field, type the first few characters or digits of
the sort method you selected, then click Go. For example, if
you selected "Telephone" as the sort method, you would
type the first few digits of the telephone number unit it is
unique from the others. Once found, a black arrow
will
point to the Customer in the list.
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72
ŠUse the
arrows to move through the list
and locate the Customer .
Move to the top of the list.
Move up one in the list.
Move down one in the list.
Move to the end of the list
4
Once you’ve located the Customer, you can use either of the
following methods to select the Customer:
•
Double-click on the name of the Customer.
•
Make sure the black-arrow
name and then click OK.
is pointing at the Customer’s
The CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window reappears with the
customer record information shown.
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Editing Customer Details
You can edit the details of a customer record, including the
conditions, vehicles and comments.
■ To Edit Customer Details
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the Modify
button.
The fields on the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window become
available for editing.
Click the
icon to view
the User who created the
customer record, and the
User who last modified
the record.
2
Move through the General Information, Conditions, Vehicle
and Comments tabs and make the necessary changes. To
change the Customer Code, see “Changing Customer Codes”
on page 76.
3
Click OK.
4
Click Quit.
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Assigning Tax Numbers to Customers
You can assign up to three different tax numbers for each
customer.
■ To Assign Tax Numbers to Customers:
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
Conditions tab.
2
In the No. Tax 1, No. Tax 2 and No. Tax 3 fields, type any tax
numbers assigned to your company by the tax authorities.
3
Click OK.
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Setting Up Price and Discount Groups for
Customers
You can set up Price and Discount Groups and then apply the
groups to each of your customers.
•
Price Groups allow you to specify the price a customer will
pay to purchase a product item or service. The number of
Price Groups you can create corresponds to price levels 1 thru
5 that were set on the ITEMS MANAGEMENT window.
For instructions on setting up Price Groups, see “Creating
Price Groups” on page 45.
•
Discount Groups allow you to specify the discount rates you
want to offer to different customers for sales, rentals and
invoice payments. For instructions on setting up Discount
Groups, see “Adding Customer Discount Groups” on page 51.
Applying a Price Group to a Customer
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click Conditions
tab.
2
In the Price Group field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave the Price Group to which they have been
assigned selected,e.g. Regular Price, Discount 5% etc.
ŠClick the Search
3
icon and select a new Price Group.
Click OK.
Applying a Discount Group to a Customer
The Price and Discount
Groups description to
which your customer
currently belongs are
shown to the right of the
Search
icon.
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
CONDITIONS tab.
2
In the Discount Group field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave the Discount Group to which they have been
assigned selected.
ŠClick the Search
Group.
3
Click OK.
icon and select a new Discount
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Changing Customer Codes
You can change the code for an existing customer using the
Modify Customer Code feature.
■ To Edit a Customer Record:
1
On the CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT window, click the
icon.
The MODIFY KEY window will appear.
You must be the only user
in Sirius to modify a
customer code.
2
Type a New Customer Code.
3
Click OK.
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Managing Suppliers
Accessing Supplier Management
1
Choose Suppliers from the Data menu.
The SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT window will appear.
Adding New Suppliers
You can add each of your suppliers to Sirius and specify the
following:
•
General information, such as the Supplier’s name, address,
and contact person.
•
Conditions specified by the Supplier, such as your payment
terms, preferred shipping method, F & B rate, etc.
•
Comments regarding the Supplier that will be seen by your
staff, but not by the Supplier.
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General Information Tab
1
In the Code field, type a unique code that will identify the
Supplier.
It is recommended that you use an alphanumeric code
(letters and numbers) that is easy to remember. The code
should not exceed six characters (although, Sirius will accept
up to 10 characters).
Notice that once you’ve
finished typing the
Supplier’s name, it will
automatically appear in
the Alphabetical field in
the next column.
2
In the Name field, type the full name of the Supplier.
3
Type the Supplier’s address, telephone and fax information.
4
In the Contact and Contact Telephone field, type the name of
your contact at the Supplier’s business.
5
In the Language field, select the Suppliers preferred language
- "English", "French" or "Other".
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Conditions Tab
1
Click the Conditions tab (or click OK on the General
Information tab).
The Conditions tab will appear.
2
In the Account # field, type the account number assigned to
you by the Supplier.
3
In the Term field, type the terms of payment applied to you by
the Supplier. For example, 30, 60 or 90 days.
4
In the Shipping field, type the preferred method of shipping
applied to you by the Supplier.
5
In the F&B Rate field, type the freight and brokerage costs
associated with the item.
6
In the Last transaction field, the system will display the last
transaction date. This field is automatically updated by Sirius.
7
In the Total Purchase field, the total amount of purchases you
made from this Supplier is displayed. This field is
automatically updated by Sirius.
8
In the Use Exchange Rate field, select "Yes" if you are using
foreign currency to purchase items from this Supplier and you
want to use the exchange rate.
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Comments Tab
1
Click the Comments tab (or click OK on the Conditions tab).
The Comments tab will appear.
2
In the Comment text box, type your comments.
3
Click OK.
4
Click Quit.
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Searching for Suppliers
You can quickly search for and select existing Supplier records.
Once found, you can then view or modify the information.
■
1
To Search for Suppliers:
On the SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT window, click the Search
icon beside the Code field.
The SUPPLIER SEARCH dialog box will appear.
Use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to quickly scroll through
each of your Supplier
records.
2
3
In the Sort field, specify how you want to search for your
Supplier, by:
•
Supplier Code
•
Alpha (Alphabetically)
•
Description
•
Telephone
•
City
•
Postal/Zip Code
Once you’ve selected a sort method, you can search for the
customer using either of the following methods:
ŠIn the Search field, type the first few characters or digits of
the sort method you selected, then click Go. For example, if
you selected "Alpha" as the sort method, you would type the
first few characters of the Supplier’s name. Once found, a
black arrow
will point to the Supplier in the list.
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ŠUse the
arrows to move through the list
and locate the Supplier:
Move to the top of the list.
Move up one in the list.
Move down one in the list.
Move to the end of the list
4
Once you’ve located the Supplier, you can use either of the
following methods to select the record:
•
Double-click on the name of the Supplier.
•
Make sure the black-arrow
name and then click OK.
is pointing at the Supplier’s
The SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT window reappears with the
supplier record information shown.
Click the
icon
to view the user who
created the item, and who
last modified the record.
5
Click Modify to change the supplier information.
6
Click OK.
7
Click Quit.
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Managing Items
Accessing Item Management
1
Choose Items from the Data menu.
The ITEM MANAGEMENT window will appear.
Adding New Items
An item is defined as an apparatus that is able to perform a
certain task. Items that have comparable tasks, values,
characteristics or performance can be grouped together into
categories. See “Creating an Item Category” on page 55.
When adding new items, you can specify the following:
To maintain accurate
inventory management,
you must add all of your
items that are available
for rent or sale into the
Sirius application.
•
Description such as the item code, category, description,
serial number (if applicable) and the sale price.
•
Rental rates for each item, including hourly, daily, weekly and
monthly.
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•
Purchase information for each item, including the name of the
supplier from whom you bought the item, the last cost, and the
quantities to be kept in inventory.
•
Comments 1,2, 3 are used to enter messages for customers
that will appear on all rental contracts and sales invoices.
Each of the Comment tabs represents a different language.
Once you’ve added an Item, you can then manage and modify the
information, as necessary.
Description Tab
1
In the Item Code field, type a code that uniquely identifies the
Item.
2
In the Type field, leave "Rental" selected if the item is
available for rent. If not, click the down-arrow button and
select one of the following:
ŠSales: Item is for sale.
ŠService: Services performed for customers (shipping,
labor, etc.)
When creating Item
Codes it is recommended
that you use a sequential,
numerical code, with the
first item code being
1001, the second 1002
and so on. You may have
these codes engraved
onto small plaques and
rivet them to your
equipment. This makes
item identification easier,
and accelerates the
processing of counter
transactions.
ŠMeter: A measuring item that can be attached to
another item so you can monitor the time or mileage
used.
3
In the Category field, click the Search
icon and select the
Item Category to which the item belongs.
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4
In the Description field, type a description of the item.
For example, 14” chainsaw, 35mm camera, safety helmet, etc.
5
In the Serial #: field, select "Yes" if the item has a serial
number and you want to manage it by ’serial number’ to
distinguish it from other similar items.
For example, you could use serial numbers to distinguish
between a Pentax and Canon 35mm cameras, or a Kubota and
Kango pneumatic hammers.
Sirius inventory management functions on two levels:
Š"Item Management" which allows you to select and view
the general characteristics of an item.
Š "Serial Number Management" which allows you to
select, view and check the availability of items by serial
number. See “Managing Serialized Items” on page 96.
6
An item associated with a
meter must be serialized.
In the With Meter field, select ’Yes" if the rental rates for the
item depends on hours of usage. Otherwise, leave "No"
selected. If you select "Yes", click the Search
icon in the
Meter Code field and select the item that will be used to
measure the time.
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A kit itself does not have
to physically exist, it can
simply be used to link
items that are rented as a
group.
For kits, it is preferable to
set the field at “No
verification” since the
verification would only be
performed at the primary
Item level.
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In the Kit field, select "Yes" if the item you are adding is part of
a kit.
A kit is a group of items that are rented together. This means
you don’t have to list each item separately when processing a
transaction. Instead, you simply enter the kit code, and each
item in the kit will automatically appear on the transaction.
When you create a kit, all the items that compose the kit must
be added as items into Sirius. See “The Item Management
window will appear.” on page 83.
8
In the Availability field, select one of the following:
ŠVerification if you want Sirius to check the item’s
availability before renting or reserving it. When you
rent or reserve an item that is not available (Insufficient
quantity, rented or reserved), Sirius will display a
message stating that it is not available, but will still
allow you to enter the item.
ŠNo Verification, if you do not want to Sirius to check
item availability.
9
In the Key Item field, leave "Yes" selected if you want the item
to be displayed in the availability calendar upon opening it.
If you set Key Item to "Yes", only ’key’ items will be shown on
the Availability Calendar.
10 In the UPC Code field, type the Universal Price Code (UPC)
for the item (if applicable).
11 In the Location field, type where the item is located in your
business. For example, Warehouse, Aisle 6, Bin 48, etc.
12 In the Sale Price table, type the sale price in the required
fields shown. Price Groups determine the price a customer must
pay for merchandise and are set up when you configured the
Sirius application. See “Creating Price Groups” on page 45.
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Keep in mind the following when entering Sales Prices:
•
You can enter up to 5 different prices for a single item,
although, it’s not mandatory that all 5 price fields be
completed.
•
If you decide to use more than one Price Group, it’s important
to enter an amount in each of the remaining Sale Price fields
For example, the amount you enter in the first Sale Price field
will apply to customers from Price Group 1, and the amount
you enter in the second Sale Price field will apply to
customers from Price Group 2.
13 The profit Margin for each Price Group will be automatically
calculated when you enter the purchase cost for the item on
the Purchase tab. See “Purchase Tab” on page 89 for details.
14 The quantity information for an Item is automatically tracked
and calculated as follows:
Qty Inventory
Displays the current quantity in
inventory.
Adjustments to quantities are calculated
whenever a Rental Invoice, Sales
Invoice or Purchase Order is processed
for the item, or if you manually make an
inventory adjustment.
Qty Reserved
The quantity held in reservations.
Qty Ordered
The quantity currently on purchase
orders.
Qty Rented
The quantity currently rented.
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Rental Tab
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Rental tab.
The Rental tab will appear.
You must enter an
amount in each of the
Price fields shown, even
though you may not offer
rates in those time
periods. Do not enter "0"’s
since the system will
consider that a price
value and it will always be
considered the most
advantageous rate for the
customer.
2
In the Deposit field, type the amount of deposit to suggest
taking when renting the item.
3
In the Regular column, move through and enter the following
rental prices:
ŠMinimum Price: The lowest possible price for the item.
If the price calculated is lower than the minimum price,
the minimum price will prevail.
ŠPrice 1 hour, Price 4 hours, Price 8 hours: Type the
rental price for each of these hours.
ŠPrice 1 Day, Week-end, Week, Month: Type the rental
price for each of these time periods.
4
The amounts shown in the Granted Qty column are
automatically calculated by Sirius based on the surcharge
rates you entered on the SURCHARGE RATES
MANAGEMENT window. See “Entering Surcharge Rates” on
page 46.
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Sirius will calculate the rental price according to the period
most advantageous for the customer.
For example, the rates below show that the most
advantageous rate for a 3 hour rental would be the 4 hour
rental rate period, not the hour rate.
•
1 hour rental rate = $5.00 x 3 hours = $15.00
•
4 hour rental rate = $8.00
•
8 hour rental rate = $10.00
•
1 day rental rate = $10.00
Purchase Tab
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Purchase tab.
The Purchase tab will appear.
To understand how to
maintain Minimum and
Maximum inventory
levels, see “Setting
Minimum and Maximum
Inventory Levels” on
page 213.
2
In the Supplier field, either type the code of the Supplier from
whom you bought the item, or click the Search
icon and
select one from the list.
3
In the Reference field, type the supplier’s item number.
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4
In the Minimum Qty field, type the minimum quantity to be
kept in stock. For automatic orders, the item is ordered once
the quantity drops to the Minimum Qty number.
5
In the Maximum Qty field, type the maximum quantity, not to
be surpassed. For automatic orders, the system will order the
required quantity to reach the Maximum Qty number.
6
In the Economical Qty field, type the minimum quantity to be
ordered to benefit from any volume discount offered by the
Supplier.
7
In the Qty Case field, type the item quantity per-case.
8
In the Weight field, type the weight of the item.
9
In the Listed Cost field, type the cost of the item.
10 In the Weighted ave. cost field, type the per-unit price based
on the average cost of items in inventory. This cost appears
during inventory adjustments.
11 If you are using the Fixed Depreciation method, enter the fixed
amount to depreciate by in the Fix depr. amount field. See
9“Setting Up Item Depreciation Tables” on page 53.
12 In the Last Listed Cost field, type the last purchase price you
paid for the item.
13 In the Discount % field, type the discount you received when
purchasing the item.
14 In the F & B % field, type the freight and brokerage costs
associated with the item.
15 In the Exchange Rate field, type the rate of exchange to be
used when purchasing the item (if required).
16 In the Other Fees, type any other fees or costs associated
with the item.
17 In the Last Cost field, type the cost you paid for the item, less
any discounts, but including F & B, Exchange Rate and other
fees.
The Last Listed Cost price
will appear by default on
your purchase orders.
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Comments 1, 2 and 3 Tabs
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Comment 1
tab.
2
On the Comments 1, 2 and 3 tabs, type the customer-related
message you want to appear on all rental contracts and sales
invoices. For example, you may want to enter directions on
how to use the item or safety tips, etc.
Since Sirius is a multilingual program, the three tabs
correspond to the language preferences you set for your
company. See “General System Configuration” on page 36.
In the comments 2 and 3
tabs, enter the item’s
description for the set
languages.
For example, if you set "English" as your first language
preference, "French" your second and "Spanish" your third you
would complete the tabs as follows:
ŠComments 1: Type your message in English.
ŠComments 2: Type your message in French.
ŠComments 3: Type your message in Spanish.
3
Click OK.
4
Click Quit.
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Searching for Items
You can quickly search for and select existing Item records. Once
found, you can then view or modify the information.
■ To Search for Items:
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Search
icon beside the Item Code field.
The ITEM SEARCH dialog box will appear.
To quickly locate an Item,
type the Item code in the
Search field and click Go,
or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
2
In the Sort field, specify how you want to search for the Item,
by:
•
Item Code
•
Type
•
Category
•
UPC
•
Supplier No,
•
Supplier Ref. #
•
Keywords
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3
Once you’ve selected a sort method, you can search for the
item using either of the following methods:
ŠIn the Search field, type the first few characters or digits of
the sort method you selected, then click Go. For example, if
you selected "Description" as the sort method, you would
type the first few digits of the Item description. Once found, a
black arrow
will point to the Item in the list.
ŠUse the
arrows to move through the list
and locate the Supplier:
Move to the top of the list.
Move up one in the list.
Move down one in the list.
Move to the end of the list
4
.
Once you’ve located the Item, you can use either of the
following methods to select the record:
•
Double-click on the name of the Item.
•
Make sure the black-arrow
click OK.
is pointing at the Item and then
The ITEM MANAGEMENT window reappears with the Item
record information displayed.
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Modifying Item Details
You can edit the details of an Item record, including the rental,
purchase and comment information.
■ To Edit Item Details
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Modify button.
The fields on the window become available for editing.
Click the
icon to view
the User who created the
Item record, and the User
who last modified the
record.
2
Move through the Description, Rental, Purchase, and
Comments tabs and make the necessary changes. To change
the Item Code, see “Changing Item Codes” on page 95.
3
Click OK.
4
Click Quit.
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Changing Item Codes
You can change the code for an existing Item using the Modify
Item Code icon.
■ To Change an Item Code:
1
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the
The MODIFY KEY window will appear.
The item code will be
modified in all current and
historical transactions to
maintain your data
integrity.
2
Type a New Item Code.
3
Click OK.
icon.
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Managing Serialized Items
Accessing Serial Number Management
1
Choose Items from the Data menu.
The ITEM MANAGEMENT window appears.
The Serial # button will
only be available if the
item you chose has the
Serial # field set to "Yes".
2
In the Item Code field, click the search
icon and select an
item with a serial number. See “Searching for Items” on
page 92 for additional instructions.
3
Click the Serial # button at the bottom of the page.
The SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window will appear.
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Adding Serialized Items
You can add serialized items to your inventory one at a time.
Serialized items are identified with 3-digit extension numbers.
■ To Add Serialized Items:
1
On the SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window, click Add.
2
In the Extension field, type a three-digit suffix that will
distinguish the serialized item you are adding from other
serialized Items.
For example, a Video Projector could have two models both
with the same Item Number, but different serial number
extensions:
ŠThe first model 61780872 could be identified by the
Item Code (10001) and a three-digit Extension (001).
To see if the item
extension is consolidated
or available in other
branches of your
organization, click the
Multi-Branch button.
ŠThe second Video Projector Model 451-12654 would be
identified by the Item Code (1001) and a three-digit
extension (002).
3
In the Supplier field, either type the name of the Supplier who
sold you the item, or click the search
icon and select one
from the list.
4
In the Invoice field, type the invoice number for the item that
was purchased.
5
In the Purchase Date field, type the date the item was
purchased.
6
In the Model field, type the model number for the item.
7
In the Description field, type any additional information that
relates to the item. The information you enter here does not
appear on any document.
8
In the Serial # field, type the Serial number for the serialized
item you are adding.
9
In the Meter field, type the current meter reading, either
number of hours or mileage.
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10 In the Location field, type the physical location of the item
within your organization.
11 In the Cost field, type the price paid to purchase the item.
Click the Detailed Cost icon
to add discounts, freight
and brokerage (F & B) percentages, exchange rates and other
fees to arrive at a net cost.
12 In the Accumulated Depreciation field, type the depreciation
amount that has accumulated on the item.
Normally, this field is automatically calculated by Sirius, but if
the item you create has already been partially or completely
depreciated, you can enter the accumulated depreciation
amount. Make sure you enter the date of the last depreciation
so the program can calculate future depreciation correctly.
13 In the Last Depreciation field, type the date the last
depreciation was calculated.
14 In the Net Value field, type the difference between the item’s
cost and its accumulated depreciation.
To run depreciation, make
sure you enter the
purchase date or the last
depreciation date with the
accumulated
depreciation.
15 The Total Maintenance field is automatically calculated by
Sirius and shows the total maintenance cost for the Item.
16 In the Capitalized reparations field, enter the amount of value
added to your item for depreciation purposes.
17 In the Registration Code field, enter the item’s unique
identifier code that is on the item itself.
18 To set a specific sale price for a serialized item, click the check
box beside Specific Price and enter the item extension’s sale
price.
Normally, during the sale of a serialized item, the sale price
used by Sirius is the one contained on the ITEM
MANAGEMENT window. See “Managing Items” on page 83.
You can define a different sale price for a particular extension
by checking the box beside the Specific Price field. Sirius will
then use the sale price shown in this field, rather than the
price shown on the ITEM MANAGEMENT window.
19 Click OK.
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Notice that the item extension you added now appears in the
table at the bottom of the window. This allows you to view at a
glance the number of extension items associated with a
serialized Item.
20 Click Cancel. Click Quit to return to the ITEM MANAGEMENT
window.
Maintaining Serialized Items
The ITEM MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT window allows you to
record maintenance performed on an item. This information is
important when determining an item’s profitability. It simplifies the
task of determining a disposal price for the item, or whether it
would be profitable to purchase another one.
You can enter the cost of labour and/or parts that were required in
performing maintenance on an item. Any parts you enter on the
window will automatically be removed from your inventory.
■ To Maintain Serialized Items:
1
In the Extension table, at the bottom of the SERIAL NUMBER
MANAGEMENT window, click on the extension you want to
view or perform maintenance.
2
Click the Maintenance button.
The ITEM MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT window will appear.
See sample on the following page.
3
Click Add.
4
Notice that Sirius will automatically insert the current date as
the maintenance date in the Date field. You can leave the
maintenance date shown or change it to another date.
5
In the Salesclerk field, either type the code of the salesclerk
who’s requesting maintenance, or click the Search
icon
and select a salesclerk from the list.
6
In the Item field, either type the code for the item that is being
used for maintenance, or click the Search
icon and select
the item from the list.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
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A description of the Item will automatically appear in the
Description field and the per-unit price of the item used in
performing the maintenance will be shown in the Price field.
|
To record labour costs
instead of parts, or to
record invoices from
external repairs, simply
leave the Item field blank
and enter only a
description, quantity and
price.
7
In the Extension field, type the item extension, if applicable.
8
In the Quantity field, type the number of items used in
performing maintenance on the item.
9
Click OK.
10 Click the In Repair button.
The following will occur:
ŠThe Maintenance information you entered will now
appear in the table at the bottom of the page.
To end repair, return to
the Item Maintenance
Management screen and
click the "End Repair"
button on that item.
ŠThe maintenance fee total will be displayed in the Total
Maintenance field on the SERIAL NUMBER
MANAGEMENT window. See “Adding Serialized Items”
on page 97.
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Managing Projects
Configuring Sirius for Project Management
Before you can add projects to Sirius, you must first activate the
Project Management option.
■
1
To Configure Sirus for Project Management:
Choose Branches - Customer Transactions from the
Configuration menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTIONS window will appear.
To finalize the enabling of
the project management
module, you must exit
Sirius and re-login.
For a detailed description of the CUSTOMER TRANSACTIONS
window, see “Setting Customer Transaction Options” on
page 333 in the Appendix.
2
Click Modify.
3
In the middle of the right-hand column, click the down-arrow
button beside Project Management? and select "Yes".
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Click OK.
5
Click Quit.
10 2
Adding Projects
1
Choose Configuration - Projects from the Configuration
menu.
The PROJECT MANAGEMENT window will appear.
2
In the Project Code field, type a unique code that identifies
the project.
3
In the Description field, type a description of the project.
4
Click OK.
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Assigning Rental Resources to a Project
You can assign the rental of an item to a project rather than a
customer.
■
To Assign Rental Resources to a Project:
1
Click the Delivery button on any of the transaction windows
(Quotation, Customer Order, Reservation, Work Order or
Rental Contract).
2
Click the Modify button at the bottom of the window.
3
In the Project field, either type the Project code that you want
to assign rental resources to, or click the Search
icon and
select a Project from the list.
4
Click OK.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
Entering Data: Managing Staff
Configuring Sirius for Staff Management
Before you can add staff to Sirius, you must first activate the
Staff Management option in Customer Transactions.
■
1
To Configure Sirius for Staff Management:
Choose Branches - Customer Transactions from the
Configuration menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTIONS window will appear.
Once activated, the
"Staff" option is added to
the Data menu.
2
Click Modify.
3
Near the bottom of the first column, click the down-arrow
button beside Staff Management? and select "Yes".
4
Click OK. For a detailed description of the CUSTOMER
TRANSACTIONS window, see "Appendix A".
5
Click Quit.
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Accessing the Staff window
1
Choose Staff... from the Data menu.
The STAFF window will appear.
Adding Staff
Notice that after you’ve
finished typing the staff
member’s name, it will
automatically appear in
the Alphabetical field at
the bottom of the window.
1
In the Code field, type a unique code that will identify the staff
member you are adding.
2
In the Name field, type the full name of the staff member.
3
Type the staff member’s address, telephone, fax and email
information.
4
In the Active field, leave "Yes" if the staff member is an active
employee. If not, select "No".
5
In the Language field, select the staff member’s primary
language—"English", "French" or "Other".
6
In the Comment text box, type any comments you want to
make in regards to the staff member.
7
Click OK.
8
Click Quit.
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Viewing Staff Availability Using the Availability
Calendar
You can use the Staff Availability Calendar for the staff to perform
tasks within the worked days.
■ To View Staff Availability Using the Availability Calendar:
1
Choose Staff Availability Calendar from the Inquiries menu.
The STAFF AVAILABILITY window will appear.
To quickly move through
the Start Date and Start
Times, click the + and buttons beside each field.
2
In the Range field, click the down-arrow button and select the
time period for which you want to see if staff are available. For
example, the next 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 day, etc.
3
Depending on your selection in the Range field, do one of the
following:
ŠIf you chose minutes or hours as the time period, select
the Start Date and Start Time to specify the range of
time for which you want to check staff availability.
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ŠIf you chose "1 Day", leave the current date selected or
choose another day.
4
Click Apply.
5
The names of the staff members and their availability are
shown on the window:
ŠGreen indicates the staff member is available for the
time period.
ŠRed indicates the staff member is unavailable. Doubleclick on the line to view a pop-up window containing
details of the assignment the staff member is currently
working on.Click Close to remove the pop-up window.
ŠOrange indicates the staff member is an Inactive
employee.
6
If you only want to view
the availability of Active
employees, click the
check box beside Active
Employee only.
Once you’ve finished viewing staff availability, click Close.
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Modifying Staff Availability.
You can modify staff availability when processing transactions for
a customer.
■
To Modify Staff Availability:
1
Click the Delivery button when working on any of the
transaction windows (Quotation, Customer Order,
Reservation, Work Order or Rental Contract).
2
Click the Modify button at the bottom of the Delivery pane.
3
Click the Staff button on the right-side of the window.
The Staff Assignment pane will appear.
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4
Do one of the following:
ŠTo add an assigment for a staff member, click the Add
button and either type the name of the employee in the
Code field, or click the Search
icon and select one
from the list. Type a description, select an assignment
Start and End Date and then click Ok.
ŠTo modify an assignment, click the Modify button, make
the necessary changes and then click OK.
The changes you made will now be reflected on the STAFF
AVAILABILITY window. See “Viewing Staff Availability Using
the Availability Calendar” on page 106.
Chapter 6
Managing
Transactions
This chapter introduces you to the various transactions available
in Sirius and shows you how to create and modify a rental
contract.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
What are Transactions?
•
Types of Transactions
•
Creating a Rental Contract
•
Modifying Rental Contracts
•
Printing a Rental Contract
•
Cloning a Rental Contract
•
Printing a Pick Up Slip
•
Transforming a Rental Contract into a Rental Invoice
•
Archiving a Rental Contract
•
Transforming Other Transactions
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W h at a re Tra ns ac ti o ns ?
What are Transactions?
Transactions in Sirius correspond to the tasks you perform in
operating your rental business. These include, Quotations,
Customer Orders, Work Orders, Reservations and Rental
Contracts.
For example, you might start off by preparing a quotation, then if
accepted, transform it into a Reservation, Customer Order, Work
Order or Rental Contract. Once the transaction is completed, you
can then issue an invoice to the customer.
Types of Transactions
There are five types of transactions—Quotations, Customer
Order, Work Order, Reservations and Rental Contract.
Quotations
A quotation provides the customer with the price of a sales or
rental item. Once accepted, it can be transformed into a
Reservation, Customer Order, Work Order, or Rental Contract.
See “Transforming the Rental Contract into a Rental Invoice” on
page 133 for instructions on using the transformation feature.
■
To Access Quotations:
1
Choose Quotation from the Customer Operations menu.
2
Follow the instructions shown for creating a Rental Contract.
See “Creating a Rental Contract” on page 116.
Since the instructions for
completing each of these
transactions are almost
identical, only detailed
instructions for Rental
Contract have been
provided in this chapter.
Sir iu s Us er G ui de
11 2
Customer Order
A customer order is used to reserve a sales item for a customer.
You may also place rental or service items on this document;
however, these items will be considered as disposable and will be
treated as sales items.
You can create an order for a customer either from scratch or by
transforming it from an existing quotation. Once the customer
purchases the item, the Customer Order is transformed into an
Invoice. See “Transforming the Rental Contract into a Rental
Invoice” on page 133 for instructions on using the transformation
feature.
■
1
To Access Customer Orders:
Choose Customer Order - Sales from the Customer
Operations menu.
The CUSTOMER ORDER window will appear.
2
Follow the instructions shown for creating a Rental Contract.
See “Creating a Rental Contract” on page 116.
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Ch a pt er 6 M a na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Typ es o f Tr an sa ct io n s
Work Order
A Work Order is used to reserve a service for a customer. The
Work Order can be mailed or emailed to the customer, and once
the service is completed it can be automatically transformed into
an invoice.
■ To Access a Work Order:
1
Choose Work Order from the Customer Operations menu.
The WORK ORDER window will appear.
Sir iu s Us er G ui de
11 4
Reservations
A Reservation is used to reserve a rental item for a customer.
You may also place sales or service items on reservations.
The Reservation can be mailed or emailed to the customer, and
once it has been rented, it is transformed into an Invoice.
■ To Access a Reservation:
1
Choose Reservation from the Customer Operations menu.
The RESERVATION window will appear.
2
Follow the instructions shown for creating a Rental Contract.
See “Creating a Rental Contract” on page 116.
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Ch a pt er 6 M a na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Re n tal Co n t r ac ts
Rental Contracts
A Rental Contract is a formal agreement with the customer that
specifies the item being rented, the period of time it is being
rented for and the rental price.
The Rental Contract can be mailed or emailed to the customer,
and once the item has been rented it can be transformed into an
Invoice.
Accessing the Rental Contract Window
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
Sir iu s Us er G ui de
11 6
Creating a Rental Contract
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, click the Add button on
the Toolbar.
The window refreshes with the cursor in the Customer field.
2
In the Customer field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer:
ŠType the customer code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
and select a customer from
the list. See “Searching for Rental Contracts” on
page 123.
Once you’ve selected a customer, the name, addresses and
account status of the customer is automatically displayed as
shown in the example below.
The Credit Status of the
customer is displayed in
the Charge field.If the
customer has gone over
their credit limit or past
their payment term
"Payment Default" will be
shown in red.
3
In the Salesclerk field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer Sales Representative:
ŠType the Salesclerk code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the SALESCLERK
SEARCH window and select a Salesclerk.
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Ch a pt er 6 M a na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Re n tal Co n t r ac ts
4
To select the rental dates and times, do the following in the
From and To fields
ŠIn the From field:
ŒAccept the default current date shown, or click the
down-arrow button and select a different date in
the calendar. This is the date the items go out.
ŒType the time of day the rental starts in the Time
field. This is the time the items go out.
The From and To dates
are used to calculate the
availability of your
equipment. You can
change the return date
and time later once the
item has been returned.
If you activated the
Invoicing Period option
during Configuration, the
Invoicing days and hrs
fields will appear. See
“Setting Customer
Transaction Options” on
page 333 in the
Appendix.
ŠIn the To field:
ŒAccept the default current date, or click the
down-arrow button and select the date you expect
the rental items to be returned.
ŒType the time of day the rental items are to be
returned in the Time field.
5
Notice that the system will automatically calculate the total
rental days and hours in the Period fields. If you manually
change the duration period, Sirius will automatically adjust the
return date and/or time.
6
Click OK. The window refreshes and the Delivery pane is
displayed as shown in the example below.
Sir iu s Us er G ui de
7
11 8
Do one of the following in the Delivery pane:
ŠIf the rental item is to be delivered to the customer,
select "Yes" in the Delivery field and enter the shipping
notes, address and contact information.
If you enter "Yes" to Delivery you will be able to print a chronological
list of all the transactions to be delivered. See “Printing a Delivery Slip
for a Reservation” on page 197.
ŠIf the rental item is not being delivered, leave ’No’
selected in the Delivered field.
Fields that are in red are
mandatory.
8
Click OK.
The window refreshes and the Rental Item pane is displayed
as shown in the example below.
9
In the Item field, use either of the following methods to select
the items the customer wants to rent:
ŠType the Item code (if known) and press Enter.
Click the
icon to
go back to the previous
pane (Delivery)
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the ITEM SEARCH
dialog and select an item.
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Ch a pt er 6 M a na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Re n tal Co n t r ac ts
10 The details of the item will appear as shown in the example
below.
To maximize the Item
pane click the
icon.
To minimize, click
the
icon.
11 Do any or all of the following in the details section:
ŠIf the Item you selected is a Serial item, click the arrowbutton in the Extension field and select the correct
serial number extension.
ŠComments that have been entered about the item can
be viewed, by clicking the down-arrow button in the
Comments field.
ŠTo change the quantity needed, enter the number in the
Quantity field.
ŠClick the $Detailed button to view the surcharge rates
for the item.
ŠTo change the rates for the item, click the $Modif button
and move to the applicable period box and change the
rate.
12 Click OK.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
12 0
Notice that the item now appears in the table at the bottom of
the window.
If the item you selected is
not available in inventory,
the AVAILABILITY
VERIFICATION pop-up
window appears.
An "X" will appear in the
Qty Available field to
indicate the item is out of
stock.
13 Repeat the above step for each item being rented by the
customer.
14 To finalize the quotation, click the Final button on the Toolbar
in the middle of the window.
The system refreshes and displays three additional
panels—Finalizers, Deposits and Payments as shown in the
example below.
If the Item has an
accessory or is part of a
kit you will be prompted to
make a selection. See
“Adding Accessories” on
page 145 and “Adding
Kits as an Item” on
page 144.ow.
12 1
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Re n tal Co n t r ac ts
15 In the Finalizers pane, do the following:
ŠAdd any applicable Rental or Sales Discounts, Damage
Waivers, Shipping, Cleaning and Labour charges.
ŠIn the Sales tax field, the proper tax code appears. The
default tax codes are defined in Customer Categories.
See “Setting Up Customer Categories” on page 48.
ŠIf additional taxes apply, click the drop-down list box
and select another tax code.
ŠTo remove a tax, simply leave the list box blank.
16 In the Deposits and Payments pane, do one of the following:
Scanning the credit card
DOES NOT authorize
payment, it simply
records the customer’s
credit card information,
Once the sales or rental
transaction is complete,
the credit card information
can then be processed for
payment.
ŠIf the item does not require a deposit, click OK.
The Rental Contract will be automatically displayed.
See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
ŠIf the item requires a deposit, do the following:
ΠType the amount in the Deposits field and click OK.
ΠType the deposit amount paid in the Payment 1 field.
ΠClick the down-arrow button to select a payment
method. For example, Cash, Check, MasterCard,
etc.
ΠIf the payment is by credit card, and you have set up
a scanner in Sirius, click the Auth. Credit Card
button to scan the credit card information. Click
Quit.
You can configure Sirius
to automatically insert the
Payment that equals the
the Amount Due. See
“Setting Customer
Transaction Options” on
page 333 in the
Appendix.
ŒClick OK on the Work Order window.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
12 2
The Rental Contract is displayed as shown in the example
below.
See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33 for
detailed instructions.
12 3
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Sea rc hi ng fo r Re nta l C o n tra cts
Searching for Rental Contracts
You can quickly search for and select existing Rental Contract
transactions. Once found, you can then view or modify the
information.
■ To Search for Rental Contracts:
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, click the Search
icon beside the Trs field.
The SEARCH RENTAL CONTRACT dialog box will appear.
To quickly locate a
Rental Contract, type the
"Transaction number" in
the Search field and click
Go, or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
Rental Contracts.
2
3
In the Sort field, select how you want to search for the Rental
Contract, by:
•
Transaction Number (the default method)
•
Transaction date
•
Customer Code
•
Customer Name
•
Customer P.0.
Once you’ve selected a sort method, you can search for the
Rental Contract using either of the following methods:
ŠIn the Search field, type the first few characters or digits of
the sort method you selected, then click Go. For example, if
you selected "Customer Name" as the sort method, you
would type the first few digits of the customer’s name. Once
found, a black arrow
will point to the Item in the list.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
12 4
ŠUse the
arrows to move through the list
and locate the Rental Contract:
Move to the top of the list.
Move up one in the list.
Move down one in the list.
Move to the end of the list
4
Once you’ve located the Rental Contract, you can use either of
the following methods to select the transaction:
•
Double-click on the name of the Rental Contract.
•
Make sure the black-arrow
click OK.
is pointing at the Item and then
The Rental Contract window reappears with the Item record
information displayed.
C
Click the
icon
to view the user who
created the Rental
Contract, and who last
modified the transaction.
12 5
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
M o d if yi ng a R en tal C o nt r a ct
Modifying a Rental Contract
You can search for and select a Rental Contract and then modify
the information. You can change the header information, the
shipping address, add new items, and modify the deposit and
payments amounts.
Selecting the Rental Contract Being Modified
1
Search for and select the Rental Contract you want to modify.
See “Searching for Rental Contracts” on page 123.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
The Modify button at the
bottom of the window is
for modifying the Status,
Delivery, Detail and Final
panels, not the entire
transaction.
2
Click the Modify button on the Toolbar in the centre of the
window.
3
In the Salesclerk field, do one of the following:
ŠType the Sales Representative’s code (if known).
ŠClick the Search icon
and select the name of the
Sales Represenative who is modifying the Rental
Contract.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
12 6
Modifying the From and To Dates and the Time
Period
1
Move through the From, To and Period fields and modify the
dates and times as required.
2
Click OK.
Modifying the Delivery information
1
Click the Delivery button on the Toolbar in the centre of the
window.
2
Click the Modify button at the bottom of the window.
3
Move through the fields and make your changes.
4
Click OK.
Modifying the Detail Information
1
Click the Detail button on the Toolbar in the centre of the
window.
2
To modify an item:
ŠIn the Item table, click on the Item whose information
you want to modify.
ŠClick the Modify button at the bottom of the window.
ŠMake your changes to the Quantity, Description,
Extension and Comments fields.
ŠClick $Modif to modify the rental rates and $Detailed to
view the surcharge rates for overdue items.
ŠOnce you’ve finished, click the End Modif button.
3
To Add a new Item:
ŠClick the Add button.
The cursor jumps to the Item field.
12 7
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
M o d if yi ng a R en tal C o nt r a ct
ŠSelect the item you want to add. See “Creating a Rental
Contract” on page 116 for instructions on adding items.
ŠOnce you’ve finished adding, click the End Modif
button.
Modifying Finalizer, Deposit and Payment
Information
1
Click the Final button on the Toolbar in the centre of the
window.
2
Click the Modify button at the bottom of the window.
3
Move through the Finalizers, Deposits and Payments panes
and make the necessary changes.
4
Once you’ve finished, click OK.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
12 8
Emailing a Rental Contract
You can email a Rental Contract to the customer directly from the
RENTAL CONTRACT window.
■ To Email a Rental Contract:
1
Search for and select the Rental Contract you want to email.
See “Emailing a Rental Contract” on page 128.
2
Click the Email button located in the top right-hand corner of
the window.
The E-MAIL: RENTAL CONTRACT dialog box appears.
Notice that the email is automatically addressed to the
customer contact and the Subject and Message sections are
completed. You can either accept the email information as
shown, or change any or all of it.
3
Click Send.
The Rental Contract will be sent to the customer contact.
12 9
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Cl o ni ng Re nta l C o n tr a cts
Cloning Rental Contracts
If you need to create a new Rental Contract for a customer that is
similar to an existing one, you can duplicate or clone the existing
one.
■
To Clone a Rental Contract:
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, search for and select the
customer’s Rental Contract you want to clone.See “Searching
for Rental Contracts” on page 123.
2
Click the
window.
icon on the Toolbar in the middle of the
The REPETITIVE ORDERS window will appear.
The top part of the
REPETITIVE ORDERS
window displays the
original transaction
information, including
customer name, start and
end dates and the rental
period.
3
In the Method section, do one of the following:
ŠClick Multiple to clone multiple copies of the Rental
Contract.
Š Click Once to clone a single copy.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
4
In the Type section, click Rental Contract.
5
In the Item Prices section, choose one of the following:
13 0
ŠLeave Preserve Item Prices selected, if you want to
maintain the original item prices in the cloned Rental
Contract.
ŠClick Update Item Prices if you want to change the
item prices in the cloned Rental Contract.
6
If you selected "Multiple" in the Method section, type the
number of times the Rental Contract should be cloned in the
Number of Repetitions field and the frequency in the days
field.
7
if you selected "Once" in the Method section, leave the current
date selected in the Once section, or type a different date to
clone the Rental Contract.
8
Click OK.
A message will appear, stating "Operation Completed"
9
Click OK.
10 Click Quit.
13 1
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
P r i nt i n g a P i c k - U p S l i p
Printing a Pick-Up Slip
When renting items, you can print a Pick-Up Slip for the customer
that shows the equipment they are renting.
■
To Print a Pick-Up Slip:
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, search for and select the
customer’s Rental Contract for whom you want to print a pickup slip. See “Searching for Rental Contracts” on page 123.
2
Click the Return button in the top-right corner of the RENTAL
CONTRACT window.
The pick up slip will appear in the viewer.
3
Click the Print icon to print the Pick Up Slip. See “Printing
Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33 for additional viewer
instructions.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
13 2
Printing a Delivery Slip
You can print a delivery slip for a rental contract which lists the
items a customer is renting and the price.
■
1
To Print a Delivery Slip for a Reservation:
Choose Reservation from the Customer Operations menu.
The RESERVATION window will appear.
2
Search for an select the reservation for which you want to print
a delivery slip.
3
Click the Deliv button in the top right-hand corner.
The Delivery Slip will be displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
13 3
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Tra n sf o r mi n g th e R en tal Co n t r ac t in t o a Re nta l In vo ic e
Transforming the Rental Contract into a
Rental Invoice
Once the Rental Contract has been completed it can be
transformed into a Rental Invoice.
■ To Transform a Rental Contract:
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, click the
the Toolbar in the centre of the window.
icon on
The RENTAL INVOICE window will automatically appear.
See "Chapter 12- Managing Invoices".
Siri us U se r Gu id e
13 4
Archiving a Rental Contract
Once a Rental Contract is no longer needed, you can remove it
from Sirius.
■
The password needed to
delete a contract is
contained in the
"Password to Delete
Contracts" field on the
Operations window in
Configuration, See
“Configuring General
Operations for a Branch”
on page 344 in the
Appendix.
To Archive a Rental Contract:
1
On the RENTAL CONTRACT window, search for and select the
customer’s Rental Contract you want to archive. See
“Searching for Rental Contracts” on page 123.
2
Click the Remove button on the Toolbar in the middle of the
RENTAL CONTRACT window.
The Protect pop-up box appears, prompting you to enter a
password.
3
Type the password.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to erase
transaction".
4
Click Yes to remove the Rental Contract.
13 5
Ch a pt er 6 Ma na g in g Tra n sac t io ns
Tra n sf o r mi n g O th e r Tran sa ct io n s
Transforming Other Transactions
Once a transaction (except for Quotations) has been completed,
you can transform it into a different transaction, as follows:
•
Customer Orders: Once the customer purchases the item, this
transaction can be transformed into an Invoice.
•
Work Orders: Once the customer obtains the service, this
transaction can be transformed into an Invoice.
•
Reservation: Once the item is rented, this transaction can be
transformed into an Invoice.
Transforming a Quotation
When you create a quotation and the customer decides to
proceed, you can transform it into any of the other
transactions—Customer Order, Work Order, Reservation or
Rental Contract.
■ To Transform a Quotation:
1
On the Quotation window, click the
in the centre of the window.
icon on the Toolbar
The TRANSFORMATION OPTIONS dialog box will appear.
2
Click the radio button beside Reservation, Order Form. Work
Order, Rental Contract, or Invoice.
3
Click OK.
Chapter 7
Processing Returns
This chapter shows you how to process returns and close the
associated rental contracts.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Handling Partial Returns
•
Closing Rental Contracts
•
Identifying Equipment Needing Maintenance, Repair or Cleaning
13 7
Ch a pt er 7 P r o ce ss in g R et ur ns
Ha n dl in g P a r t ial R et u r ns
Handling Partial Returns
If a customer returns some, but not all of the equipment they
rented, you can return the items and invoice the customer for
those items only.
If you have the "Delayed Invoicing" option activated, you can
return the items, print a Return Slip and leave the contract open
until all items are returned before you invoice the customer. See
"Delayed Invoicing" option in "Appendix A - Branch Configuration"
for details.
■ To Handle Partial Returns:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
To quickly locate a Rental
Contract, type the
Transaction Number in
the Search field and click
Go, or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
2
In the Trs field, click the search
icon and select the
applicable rental contract. See “Searching for Rental
Contracts” on page 144 for instructions.
3
Click the Transformation
icon.
The RENTAL INVOICE window will appear.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
13 8
4
In the Salesclerk field, either type the Salesclerk Code, or
click the Search icon
and select the "Salesclerk" who is
closing the Rental Contract.
5
Click OK at the bottom of the window.
The Item pane appears listing the items that were rented.
If you have the Delayed
Invoicing option activated,
the Rental Invoice
window is renamed
"Ready for Invoice". See
setting the "Delayed
Invoicing Option" in
"Appendix A - Branch
Configuration" for
details.
6
To return one or more items, but not all, do one of the
following:
ŠClick on each item that was returned and then click the
icon.
Š Click the Modify button and type the amount returned
in the Close field as shown in the example below. Click
OK.
13 9
Ch a pt er 7 P r o ce ss in g R et ur ns
Ha n dl in g P a r t ial R et u r ns
7
Click Final on the Toolbar in the middle of the window. The
FINALIZERS, DEPOSITS and PAYMENTS panes will appear.
8
In the Finalizers pane:
ŠIn the Sales tax field, the proper tax code appears. The
default tax codes are defined in Customer Categories.
See “Setting Up Customer Categories” on page 48.
ŠIf additional taxes apply, click the drop-down list box
and select another tax code.
ŠTo remove a tax, simply leave the list box blank.
9
In the Deposits pane:
ŠIf a deposit was obtained for the rental item, it will be
shown with a minus sign (-) to indicate the amount is
being credited back to the customer.
Scanning the credit card
DOES NOT authorize
payment, it simply
records the customer’s
credit card information,
Once the sales or rental
transaction is complete,
the credit card information
can then be processed for
payment.
ŠIf the payment is by credit card, and you have set up a
scanner in Sirius, do the following to capture the
customer’s credit card information:
ŒClick the Auth. Credit Card button.
ΠScan the credit card.
ŒTo modify the information, click the Modify button.
ŒClick Quit.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
10 In the Payment pane, do the following:
ŠIn the Payment 1field in the Amount column, type the
amount received from the customer for the item(s) they
returned. It should equal the Total Due shown.
(If a cash customer, the amount of the payment is
automatically inserted by Sirius.)
If the customer has an
account and makes a
partial payment, a
message will appear
prompting you to apply
the outstanding balance
to their account.
ŠIn the Method of Payment column, click the
down-arrow button and select a payment method. For
example, Cash, Check, MasterCard, Visa, American
Express, Debit Card. You can enter up to four payments
in the Payment 1 to Payment 4 fields.
11 Click OK.
The Invoice (Rental) form will be displayed for the item(s)
returned. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on
page 33.
If the Delayed Invoicing
option is set to "Yes" in
Branch Configuration, a
Return Slip will be
displayed, instead of the
Invoice Rental. The
Invoice will not be issued
until all items have been
returned. See “Setting
Customer Transaction
Options” on page 333 in
the Appendix.
14 0
14 1
Ch a pt er 7 P r o ce ss in g R et ur ns
Cl o sin g R en tal C on t r a cts
Closing Rental Contracts
Once a customer returns the rental equipment, you can close the
contract associated with the item and issue an invoice.
If you have the "Delayed Invoicing" option activated, you can
return the items, print a Return Slip and leave the contract open
and invoice them at a later date. See setting the "Delayed
Invoicing Option" in "Appendix A - Branch Configuration" for
details.
■
1
To Close a Rental Contract:
Choose Rental Contract from the the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
To quickly locate a Rental
Contract, type the
Transaction Number in
the Search field and click
Go, or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
2
In the Trs field, search for and select the rental contract you
are closing. See “Searching for Rental Contracts” on page 144
for instructions.
3
Click the Transformation
icon.
The RENTAL INVOICE window will appear.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
14 2
4
In the Salesclerk field, either type the Salesclerk Code, or
click the Search icon
and select the "Salesclerk" who is
closing the Rental Contract.
5
Click OK at the bottom of the window.
The Item panel appears listing the items that were rented.
If you have theDelayed
Invoicing option activated,
the Rental Invoice
window is renamed
"Ready for Invoice". See
setting the "Delayed
Invoicing Option" in
"Appendix A - Branch
Configuration" for details.
6
To return the items, do one of the following:
ŠTo return all of the items, click the
icon.
Š To return a selected item, but not all, click on the item
that was returned and then click the
icon. See
“Handling Partial Returns” on page 137.
After you finish recording the return item (s), the quantity
returned is automatically inserted in the Close Contract
column of the Item Table.
14 3
Ch a pt er 7 P r o ce ss in g R et ur ns
Cl o sin g R en tal C on t r a cts
7
Click Final on the Toolbar in the middle of the window.
The FINALIZERS, DEPOSITS and PAYMENTS panes will
appear.
8
In the Finalizers pane:
ŠIn the Sales tax field, the proper tax code appears. The
default tax codes are defined in Customer Catgeories.
See “Setting Up Customer Categories” on page 48.
ŠIf additional taxes apply, click the drop-down list box
and select another tax code.
ŠTo remove a tax, simply leave the list box blank.
9
In the Deposits pane:
ŠIf a deposit was obtained for the rental item, it will be
shown with a minus sign (-) to indicate the amount is
being credited back to the customer.
10 In the Payment pane, do the following:
ŠIn the Payment 1field in the Amount column, type the
amount received from the customer. It should equal the
Total Due shown.
Sirius will automatically insert the payment, if you have
activated the Suggest Payment option. See “Customer
Transactions” on page 333 in Appendix A.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
ŠIn the Method of Payment column, click the
down-arrow button and select a payment method. For
example, Cash, Check, MasterCard, Visa, American
Express, Debit Card. You can enter up to four payments
in the Payment 1 to Payment 4 fields.
11 Click OK.
If the customer has an
account and makes a
partial payment, a
message will appear
prompting you to apply
the outstanding balance
to their account.
If the Delayed Invoicing
option is set to "Yes" in
Branch Configuration, a
Return Slip will be
displayed, instead of the
Invoice Rental. The
Invoice will not be
produced until all items
have been returned. See
“Setting Customer
Transaction Options” on
page 333 in the
Appendix.
The Invoice (Rental) form will be displayed. See“Printing
Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Id en t if yi n g E q ui p me n t Ne ed in g M a in t en an ce , Re pair o r C le an in g
Identifying Equipment Needing
Maintenance, Repair or Cleaning
You can identify equipment that is damaged or dirty when
returned and assess the applicable maintenance and cleaning
charges.
■ To Identify Equipment Needing Maintenance. Repair or
Cleaning:
1
Select the Rental Contract and navigate to the Return Invoice
Details pane using the instruction shown in “Handling Partial
Returns” on page 137 or “Closing Rental Contracts” on
page 141
The Item pane appears listing the items that were rented.
2
To return the items, do one of the following:
ŠTo return all of the items, click the
icon.
Š To return a selected item, but not all, click on the item
that was returned and then click the
icon. See
“Handling Partial Returns” on page 137.
3
To indicate the item is in need of maintenance, repair or
cleaning, do the following:
ŠClick the Add button at the bottom of the window.
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14 6
ŠIn the Item field, click the Search
icon and select
the item that is used for maintenance, repair or
cleaning.
ŠIn the Price field, type the cost of maintaining repairing
or cleaning the item.
ŠClick OK. The item is added to the invoice.
4
Click Final on the Toolbar in the middle of the window.
The FINALIZERS, DEPOSITS and PAYMENTS panes will
appear.
Notice that the Total includes the repair, maintenance or
cleaning costs you added to the invoice in step 3 above.
5
Continue closing the contract using the instructions shown in
“Closing Rental Contracts” on page 141
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Chapter 8
Managing Invoices
This chapter shows you how to search for and manage invoices.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Accessing Invoices
•
Creating Invoices
•
Searching for Invoices
•
Finalizing and Printing Invoices
•
Emailing an Invoice
•
Adding Tax Identification Numbers on Invoices
•
Adding Your Logo to Invoices
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Ch a pt er 8 Ma na g in g In vo i ces
Ac ce ss in g In vo ic es
Accessing Invoices
1
Choose Invoice from the Customer Operations menu.
The INVOICE window will appear.
Creating Invoices
For instructions on creating a rental invoice, see “Closing Rental
Contracts” on page 162.
For instructions creating a sales invoice, see “Processing the Sale
of a New Item or Accessory” on page 196.
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15 0
Searching for Invoices
You can quickly search for and select existing Invoices. Once
found, you can then view or modify the information.
■ To Search for Invoices:
1
On the INVOICES window, click the Search
the Trs field.
icon beside
The SEARCH INVOICE dialog box will appear.
To quickly locate a n
Invoice, type the
"Transaction number" in
the Search field and click
Go, or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
Invoices.
2
3
In the Sort field, select how you want to search for the Invoice,
by
•
Transaction Number (the default method)
•
Transaction date
•
Customer Code
•
Customer Name
•
Customer P.0.
Once you’ve selected a sort method, you can search for the
Invoice using either of the following methods:
ŠIn the Search field, type the first few characters or digits of
the sort method you selected, then click Go. For example, if
you selected "Customer Name" as the sort method, you
would type the first few digits of the customer’s name. Once
found, a black arrow
will point to the Item in the list.
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Ch a pt er 8 Ma na g in g In vo i ces
Sea rc hi ng fo r In vo ic es
ŠUse the
arrows to move through the list
and locate the Rental Contract:
Move to the top of the list.
Move up one in the list.
Move down one in the list.
Move to the end of the list
4
Once you’ve located the Invoice, you can use either of the
following methods to select the transaction:
•
Double-click on the name of the Invoice.
•
Make sure the black-arrow
click OK.
is pointing at the Item and then
The INVOICE window reappears with the information
displayed
Click the
icon
to view the user who
created the Invoice, and
who last modified the
transaction.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
15 2
Finalizing and Printing Invoices
When you finalize an Invoice, or click
in the top-right hand
corner of the INVOICE window, the Invoice is displayed as shown
in the example below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius”
on page 33.
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Ch a pt er 8 Ma na g in g In vo i ces
Em ai lin g a n In vo i ce
Emailing an Invoice
You can email an Invoice to the customer directly from the
INVOICE window.
■ To Email an Invoice:
1
Search for and select the Invoice you want to email.
See “Searching for Invoices” on page 150.
2
Click the Email button located in the top right-hand corner of
the window.
The E-MAIL: INVOICE dialog box appears.
Notice that the email is automatically addressed to the
customer contact and the Subject and Message sections are
completed. You can either accept the email information as
shown, or change any or all of it.
3
Click Send.
The Invoice will be sent to the customer contact.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
15 4
Adding Tax Identification number on
Invoices
You can add Tax ID numbers in Sirius that will automatically be
displayed on all invoices you issue to customers.
To find out how to add Tax ID numbers, see “General System
Configuration” on page 36 in Appendix A.
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Ad d in g y ou r Lo g o t o In vo i ces
Adding your Logo to Invoices
You can create and integrate your business logo in Sirius and
then have it printed on invoices.
Understanding Sirius Logo Files
This section provides you with the file specifications you should
follow when creating Sirius logo files.
Logo files directories
Sirius logo files have to be saved under the Sirius data files in
each of the Sirius branches on the server. The directory is as
follow :
\\Server\Sirius\Data
Where \\Server is the name of your server machine
Graphic resolution
Sirius will resize the bitmap graphic file to the following sizes.
We strongly recommend, to improve the printed quality, to
double the size of the following files. Sirius will resize these at
half their size and thus improve quality.
Do not use larger files, though, for it might cause intermittent
memory overflow and print a black square in place of your logo.
Sirius logo file format
The file format for Sirius logos is bitmap (*.bmp). This means
that all Sirius logos have to be either created or saved under
MS Paint. Logos are named Logoform.bmp.
Logo sizes and use
Š Logoform.bmp
ŒUse: Customer transaction documents
Statement of accounts
ŒSize: 370 x 80 (740 x 160) pixels
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
Š Logoform2.bmp
ŒUse :Purchase Orders header
Purchase Order receipts header
Œ-Size :370 x 80 (740 x 160) pixels
Š Logoform3.bmp
ŒUse: Customer Form Template #17, 20, 26 – 31,
36, 37, 39 – 42, 46, 49, 59, 66, 70, 71, 76 and 78.
Œ(Select “YES” for this option under the menu
Configuration – Branches – Forms – Logo on
Form 17)
ŒSize: 370 x 80 (740 x 160) pixels
ŠLogoform3.rtf
ŒUse: Customer Form Template #54, 55, 61, 62, 64,
65, 67 – 69, 72, 73, 75, 77, 79 – 81.
Œ(Select “YES” for this option under the menu
Configuration – Branches – Forms – Logo on
Form 17)
ŒSize: Variable. Can be quite large.
Š Logoform5.bmp
ŒUse: Signature line, Rental agreement, marketing
infos, etc.
Customer Form Template #40
Œ(Select “YES” for this option under the menu
Configuration – Branches – Forms – Logo on Form
17)
ΠSize:420 x 125 (840 x 250) pixels
Š Logoform6.bmp
ŒUse :Customer transaction documents
Customer Form Template #81
ŒSize :370 x 150 (740 x 300) pixels
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Ch a pt er 8 Ma na g in g In vo i ces
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Creating Bitmap (bmp) logos
1
From the Start menu, go to Programs.
2
Choose Accessories > Paint.
3
Once in Paint, select Attributes from the Image menu.
4
Set image attributes as defined under “Logo sizes and use” on
page 155.
5
Create your logo (text or image).
6
Save the logo in its appropriate name under the desired Sirius
data folder on the server.
Creating Rich Text Format (RTF) logos
1
From the Start menu, go to Programs.
2
Choose Microsoft Word.
3
Type the information you would like to appear on the form.
4
Select Save as from the File menu.
5
In the Save as type field, select Rich Text Format (.rtf).
6
Save the logo in its appropriate name under the desired Sirius
data folder on the server.
Chapter 9
Crediting Invoices
This chapter shows you how to credit a rental and sales invoice.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Crediting a Rental Invoice
•
Crediting a Sales Invoice
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
15 9
Crediting a Rental Invoice
If a customer with an account is dissatisfied with a rental, you can
credit their account for the amount of the item.
■
To quickly locate a Rental
Contract, type the
Transaction Number in
the Search field and click
Go, or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
To Credit a Rental Invoice:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
2
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
3
In the Trs field, click the search
icon and select the rental
contract whose invoice you are crediting. See “Searching for
Rental Contracts” on page 144 for instructions.
4
Click the Modify button on the Toolbar in the middle of the
window.
5
In the Salesclerk field, either type the Salesclerk Code, or
click the Search icon
and select the "Salesclerk" who is
closing the Rental Contract.
6
Click OK.
Notice that the items contained in the Rental Contract are
displayed in the Item Table at the bottom of the window.
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7
16 0
Click the Add button.
The cursor jumps to the Item field.
8
In the Item field, type the Item Code of the item you are
crediting. Must match the item already displayed in the Item
Table.
9
Click the
icon in the Quantity field to change the quantity
to a negative amount equalling the quantity being credited.
For example, if crediting one item, you would set the quantity
to -1.
10 Click OK.
The Items Table will now display both the original debit amount
and the offsetting credit amount in brackets( ).
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11 Click the End Modif button.
12 Click the Transformation
icon.
The RENTAL INVOICE window will appear.
13 In the Salesclerk field, either type the Salesclerk Code, or
click the Search icon
and select the "Salesclerk" who is
closing the Rental Contract.
14 In the Period field, make sure the original rental period for the
item you are crediting matches the period of time shown on
the Rental Contract.
15 Click OK on the Toolbar in the middle of the window.
16 Click OK at the bottom-right of the Rental Invoice window.
17 In the Item Table, click on the item you are crediting and then
click the
icon.
The Items Table will display both the original debit amount
and the offsetting credit amount in brackets( ).
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16 2
18 Click the Final button.
The FINALIZERS, DEPOSITS and PAYMENTS panes will
appear.
The amounts in the Total
column on the Rental
Invoice must match the
amounts in the Total
column on the Rental
Contract.If it doesn’t, it is
probably because the
time shown in the Period
field on the Invoice
window, does not match
the Period field on the
Rental Contract window.
The Total in the Finalizers pane will be shown as a
negative (-) and must match the Total shown in the Finalizers
pane on the Rental Contract.
(If the customer paid cash for the rental item, type the amount
being credited or returned to him as a negative in the Payment
field on the Finalizers tab.)
19 Click OK.
The Invoice Rental form or Return Form will be displayed
showing both the original invoice amount and the new credit
invoice amount (in brackets). See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33 for instructions on printing the forms.
The next step is to remove the credit invoice amount from the
customer’s account by entering a "0" dollar payment.
20 Choose Enter Payments from the Accounts Receivable
menu.
The ENTER PAYMENTS window will appear. See sample on
the next page.
21 Click Add.
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16 3
22 In the Customer # field, either type the Customer Code, or
click the Search
icon and select the customer from the list.
23 Accept the current date as the Payment Date, or change to a
different date.
24 In the Payment field, type the amount of the payment as ’0".
25 In the Method of Payment field, click the down-arrow button
and select the applicable method from the list—Cash, Check,
MasterCard, VIsa, American Express or Debit Card.
26 Click Detail. Notice that the original entry and the negative
credit invoice amount are now both shown in the table.
27 Locate and select the negative payment in the table.
Click the
icon to apply the "0" dollar payment.
The negative credit invoice amount is now removed and the
balance shown is $0.00.
.
28 Click OK.
29 Click Header to return to the top of the ENTER PAYMENT
window.
30 Click OK and then Quit.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
16 4
Crediting a Sales Invoice
If a customer is dissatisfied with an item they purchased, you can
credit their sales invoice for the amount of the item.
■ To Credit a Sales Invoice:
1
Choose Invoice from the Customer Operations menu.
The INVOICE window will appear.
2
Click the Add button on the Toolbar.
The window refreshes with the cursor in the Customer field.
3
In the Customer field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer whose sales invoice is being credited.
ŠType the customer code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
and select a customer from
the list. See “Searching for Customers” on page 64.
Once you’ve selected a customer, the name, addresses and
account status of the customer is automatically displayed as
shown in the example below.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
4
16 5
In the Salesclerk field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer Sales Representative:
ŠType the Salesclerk code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the SALESCLERK
SEARCH dialog and select a Salesclerk.
5
Leave the current dates shown in the From and To fields.
6
Click OK on the Toolbar in the middle of the window.
7
Click OK at the bottom-right of the Rental Invoice window.
The cursor jumps to the Item field.
Click the
icon in the Quantity field to change the quantity
to a negative amount equalling the quantity being credited.
For example, if crediting one item, you would set the quantity
to -1.
8
Click OK.
The Items Table will now display the item as a credit ( ) in the
Total column.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
9
16 6
Click the Final button.
The FINALIZERS, DEPOSITS and PAYMENTS panes will
appear.
The Total in the Finalizers pane will be shown as a
negative (-).
10 Click OK.
The Invoice Rental form or Return Form will be displayed.
See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33. The
credit amount will be shown in the Grand Total field.
If the customer paid cash
for the sales item, type
the amount being credited
or returned to him as a
negative in the Payment
field.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
16 7
Chapter 10
Selling Items and
Accessories
This chapter shows you how to sell both new items and rental
items and then generate an invoice to record the sale.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Processing the Sale of a New Item or Accessory
•
Processing the Sale of a Rental Item
Si riu s Us erGu id e
16 9
Processing the Sale of a New Item or
Accessory
You can sell an item or accessory to a customer and then
generate an invoice to record the sale.
■ To Process the Sale of a New Item or Accessory:
1
Choose Invoices from the Customer Operations menu.
The INVOICES window will appear.
2
Click the Add button on the Toolbar.
The window refreshes with the cursor in the Customer field.
3
In the Customer field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer:
ŠType the customer code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
the list.
and select a customer from
Once you’ve selected a customer, the name, addresses and
account status of the customer is automatically displayed as
shown in the example below.
The Credit Status of the
customer is displayed in
the Charge field. If the
customer has gone over
their credit limit or past
their payment term
"Payment Default" will be
shown in red.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
4
17 0
In the Salesclerk field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer Sales Representative:
ŠType the Salesclerk code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the SALESCLERK
SEARCH dialog and select a Salesclerk.
5
Leave the current dates shown in the From and To fields.
6
Click OK.
The window refreshes and the Delivery pane is displayed as
shown in the example below.
7
Do one of the following in the Delivery pane:
ŠIf the sale item is to be delivered to the customer, select
"Yes" in the Delivery field and enter the shipping notes,
address and contact information.
Fields that are in red are
mandatory.
ŠIf the sale item is not being delivered, leave ’No’
selected in the Delivered field.
8
Click OK.
The window refreshes and your cursor jumps to the Item field.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
9
17 1
In the Item field, use either of the following methods to select
the Sales item you are selling to the customer.
ŠType the Item code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the ITEM SEARCH
dialog and select an Item.
10 Click OK.
To maximize the Item
pane click the
icon.
To minimize, click
the
icon.
The details of the sales item will be displayed as shown in the
example below:
11 Do any or all of the following in the details section:
ŠIf the Item you selected is a Serial item, click the arrowbutton in the Extension field and select the correct
serial number extension.
Click the
icon to
go back to the previous
pane (Delivery)
ŠComments that have been entered about the item can
be viewed, by clicking the down-arrow button in the
Comments field.
ŠTo change the quantity needed, enter the number in the
Quantity field.
ŠTo change the price of the item, insert your cursor in the
Price field and change the amount shown.
12 Click OK.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 2
13 To finalize the sale and generate the Invoice, click the Final
button on the Toolbar in the middle of the window.
The system refreshes and displays three additional
panels—Finalizers, Deposits and Payments as shown in the
example below.
14 In the Finalizers pane, do the following:
ŠAdd any applicable Rental or Sales Discounts, Damage
Waivers, Shipping, Cleaning and Labour charges.
ŠIn the Sales tax drop-down list boxes, click the downarrow buttons to select the applicable taxes.
15 If the payment is by credit card, and you have set up a scanner
in Sirius, do the following in the Deposits pane to capture the
customer’s credit card information:
ŒClick the Auth. Credit Card button.
Scanning the credit card
DOES NOT authorize
payment, it simply
records the customer’s
credit card information,
Once the sales or rental
transaction is complete,
the credit card information
can then be processed for
payment
ΠScan the credit card.
ŒTo modify the information, click the Modify button.
ŒClick Quit.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 3
16 In the Payments pane, notice that Sirius automatically displays
the Total Due and the Payment 1 amount and method. You can
modify the payment information, if necessary.
17 Click OK.
The Invoice will be printed and automatically displayed. See
“Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
If the customer makes a
partial payment, a
message will appear
prompting you to apply
the outstanding balance
to their account.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 4
Processing the Sale of a Rental Item
You can sell a rental item to a customer and then generate an
invoice to record the sale. Rental items are defined as equipment
currently in the rental inventory that may also be checked out.
■ To Process the Sale of a New Item or Accessory:
1
Choose Invoices > Sales from the Customer Operations
menu.
The INVOICES window will appear.
2
Click the Add button on the Toolbar.
The window refreshes with the cursor in the Customer field.
3
In the Customer field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer:
ŠType the customer code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
the list.
and select a customer from
Once you’ve selected a customer, the name, addresses and
account status of the customer is automatically displayed as
shown in the example below.
The Credit Status of the
customer is displayed in
the Charge field. If the
customer has gone over
their credit limit or past
their payment term
"Payment Default" will be
shown in red.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
4
17 5
In the Salesclerk field, use either of the following methods to
select the customer Sales Representative:
ŠType the Salesclerk code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the SALESCLERK
SEARCH dialog and select a Salesclerk.
5
Leave the current dates shown in the From and To fields.
6
Click OK.
The window refreshes and the Delivery pane is displayed as
shown in the example below.
7
Click the
icon to
go back to the previous
pane (Delivery).
Do one of the following in the Delivery pane:
ŠIf the rental item being sold is to be delivered to the
customer, select "Yes" in the Delivery field and enter
the shipping notes, address and contact information.
If the rental item being sold is not being delivered, leave
’No’ selected in the Delivered field.
8
Click OK.
The window refreshes and your cursor jumps to the Item field.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
9
17 6
In the Item field, use either of the following methods to select
the Rental item you are selling to the customer.
ŠType the Item code (if known) and press Enter.
ŠClick the Search icon
to display the ITEM SEARCH
dialog and select an Item.
10 Click OK.
The following message will appear.
To maximize the Item
pane click the
icon.
To minimize, click
the
icon.
11 Click Yes.
The rental item is displayed in the table and your cursor
remains in the Item field to allow you to select additional
items.
12 Once you’ve finished selecting the rental items for sale, click
the Final button.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 7
The system refreshes and displays three additional
panels—Finalizers, Deposits and Payments as shown in the
example below.
13 In the Finalizers pane, do the following:
ŠAdd any applicable Rental or Sales Discounts, Damage
Waivers, Shipping, Cleaning and Labour charges.
ŠIn the Sales tax drop-down list boxes, click the downarrow buttons to select the applicable taxes.
14 If the payment is by credit card, and you have set up a scanner
in Sirius, do the following in the Deposits pane to capture the
customer’s credit card information:
ŒClick the Auth. Credit Card button.
ΠScan the credit card.
ŒTo modify the information, click the Modify button.
ŒClick Quit.
15 In the Payments pane, do the following:
ŠIn the Payment 1field in the Amount column, type the
amount received from the customer. It should equal the
Total Due shown. (If a cash customer, the amount of the
payment is automatically inserted by Sirius.).
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 8
ŠIn the Method of Payment column, click the
down-arrow button and select a payment method. For
example, Cash, Check, MasterCard, Visa, American
Express, Debit Card. You can enter up to four payments
in the Payment 1 to Payment 4 fields.
16 Click OK.
The Invoice will be printed and automatically displayed as
shown in the example below. See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33.
Si riu s Us erGu id e
17 9
Chapter 11
Managing Inventory
This chapter shows you how to enter and manage your inventory in the
Sirius program.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Entering Inventory in Sirius
•
Setting Inventory Levels
•
Purchasing Inventory Levels
•
Receiving Purchased Inventory Items
•
Setting Up Meters on Rental Equipment
•
Transferring Stock between Branches
•
Handling Broken or Lost Rental Equipment
•
Adjusting Item Availability for Maintenance or Repair
Siri us U se r Gu id e
18 1
Entering Inventory in Sirius
Entering Your Inventory Quantity As An Adjustment
You can enter the quantity for each item into Sirius as an inventory
adjustment.
■ To Enter Your Inventory Quantity as an Adjustment:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustment on the Inventory
Management menu.
The INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window will appear.
In order to maintain an
accurate inventory, it’s
important that you enter a
brief, concise description
of why you are adjusting
the inventory quantity.
Do not leave this field
blank.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Description field, type a description that indicates that
the reason for the adjustment is to enter inventory quantities
for an item.
4
Click Detail F3.
5
In the Item field, either type the code of the Item you are
adding to inventory, or click the Search
icon and select the
item from the list.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
For serialized items, the
quantity is automatically
entered by Sirius. Since
these are single items the
quantity will be "0" or "1".
18 2
6
If the Item you are adding is a serialized item, click the
down-arrow button beside Extension and select New to
indicate this a new extension being added. If not, go to step 7.
7
In the Quantity field, type the quantity of the item you are
adding to inventory.
8
In the Cost field, type the cost of the item whose quantity you
are adding to inventory.
9
In the Sale Price 1 field, accept the price shown for the item.
or modify it, if necessary.
10 Click OK.
The item now appears in the Item table and the cursor returns
to the Item field.
11 Click Cancel to display the following action buttons:
ŠTo add additional quantities for the item, click Add.
ŠTo modify the item quantity, click on the item, click
Modify, make your changes and then click OK.
ŠTo remove the item quantity you added, click on the
item, click Remove and then click OK.
12 To return to the HEADER section of the window, click Header
F4.
13 Click OK.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to print labels?"
14 Click "Yes" if you would like to print bar code labels for each
Item Quantity you added. If not, click "No". See “Printing
Labels to Track Inventory Items” on page 185.
Choosing to allow Sirius
to print your bar code
labels at this point, means
you can avoid having to
create them one at a time
in the future.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
18 3
Once you’ve removed the print label message, the Inventory
Adjustment report appears. See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33.
The Inventory Adjustment
report can be reprinted at
any time. Simply select
the item and then click the
The Inventory Adjustment report lists each of the item
quantities you added, along with the cost of each.
Print
icon in the
Header section.
Entering Inventory Quantities using UPC Codes
You can enter inventory quantities for an item using a barcode scanner
and UPC codes.
■ To Enter Inventory Quantities using UPC Codes:
1
Choose Inventory > Reset Inventory File from the
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT window.
The following warning message will appear.
2
Click "Yes" to empty the Inventory file.
3
Create a new inventory file and save it to a drive and directory.
4
Choose Inventory > Lot Transfer from the INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT window. A message will appear, stating
"Select Inventory File".
5
Click OK.
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6
Locate the drive and directory containing your Inventory File
and click Open to download it into Sirius.
7
After the file has been downloaded, choose Inventory >
Difference Report from the INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
window.
The Inventory Differences Report will appear.
The Inventory Differences report compares the inventory
quantity differences between Sirius and the downloaded
Inventory File. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on
page 33.
Warning:
Running the Update
operation is irreversible
and may take several
minutes.
8
If the results are not acceptable, click Close to exit the viewer
and modify the Inventory File using the steps shown above.
Repeat as many times as required.
9
Once you are satisfied with the results of the Inventory
Differences Report, choose Inventory > Update from the
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT window.
Update will adjust Sirius inventory quantities according to the
quantities captured the barcode scanner.
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Entering Inventory Quantities Manually
You can add items to your inventory manually, one at a time, using the
ITEM MANAGEMENT window. For detailed instructions on adding items
manually, see “The Item Management window will appear.” on page 76.
Printing Labels to Track Inventory Items
You can print a label for each of your inventory items using the PRINT
LABELS window. Labeling allows you to track inventory item usage,
revenue and costs.
■ To Print Labels to Track Inventory Items:
1
Choose Print Labels from the Inventory Management menu.
The PRINT LABELS window appears.
Before you can print
labels, you must make
sure that the Print
Product labels? option is
set to "Yes" on the
Inventory window in
Branch configuration.
See "Appendix A - Branch
Configuration".
2
In the Item No. field, either type the code of the Item you want
to print labels for, or click the Search
icon and select the
item from the list.
3
If you are printing a label for a serialized item, click the
down-arrow button and select the applicable item Extension.
4
In the Quantity field, type the number of labels required. For
serialized items, the quantity is automatically set at "1".
5
Click Ok.
6
Click Quit.
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Setting Inventory Levels
Setting Minimum and Maximum Inventory Levels
You can set minimum and maximum inventory quantities for an Item in
Sirius.
This is useful when creating a purchase item for a supplier. A prompt will
appear to confirm that you want the system to generate the detailed
purchase order.
When you click "Yes", the system will compare "quantity in stock" versus
"minimum quantity" for all items identified with the selected supplier. If
the quantity in stock is smaller than the minimum quantity, the system will
order whatever is required to reach the maximum quantity.
The instructions that follow assume you have added your inventory items
to Sirius using the instructions shown in "Chapter 6 - Entering Data".
■ To Set Minimum and Maximum Inventory Levels:
1
Choose Items from the Inventory Management menu.
The ITEM MANAGEMENT window appears.
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To quickly locate an Item,
type the Item code in the
Search field and click Go,
or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
The Last Listed Cost price
will appear by default on
your purchase orders.
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2
On the ITEM MANAGEMENT window, click the Search
icon beside the Item Code field and select the item for which
you want to set quantities.
3
Click Modify.
4
Click the Purchase tab.
5
In the Minimum Qty field, type the minimum quantity to be
kept in stock. For automatic orders, the item is ordered once
the quantity drops to the Minimum Qty number.
For more information on automatic orders, see “Creating a
Purchase Order” on page 188.
6
In the Maximum Qty field, type the maximum quantity, not to
be surpassed. For automatic orders, this is the maximum
number of the item that can be ordered.
7
In the Economical Qty field, type the minimum quantity to
ordered to benefit from any volume discount offered by the
Supplier.
8
Click Ok.
9
Click Quit.
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18 8
Purchasing Inventory Items
Creating a Purchase Order
You can add items to your inventory by generating a Purchase Order to
replenish stock. When the stock is received Sirius will automatically
update your inventory quantities.
■ To Create a Purchase Order:
1
Choose Purchase - Order from the INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT window.
The PURCHASE MANAGEMENT window appears.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Supplier field, either type the Supplier code, or click the
Search
icon and select the supplier with whom you are
placing the order.
The supplier’s address, as well as any additional information,
will automatically appear in the Supplier and Shipped To
sections.
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Since you can create
orders for other Branches
in your organization, it is
very important to specify
the branch where the
order will be delivered.
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4
In the Purchase Date field, leave the default current date
shown or type a new date.
5
In the Branch field, specify the Branch to which the item will
be delivered. See “Creating a Purchase Order for Multiple
Branches” on page 193.
6
Modify the Shipped To address section, if necessary.
The address shown, is the default address for the branch.
7
In the Additional Information section, move through and
complete the necessary information.
8
Click OK.
The following message will appear.
9
Do one of the following:
ŠClick Yes if you want to perform an automatic order.
This means that all items ordered from this Supplier that
have fallen below the specified Minimum quantity are
automatically added to the Purchase Order.
See “Setting Minimum and Maximum Inventory Levels” on
page 186.
ŠClick No to manually add the items you want to order.
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The Detail information will appear with your cursor in the
Product field. Any automatic order items will be shown in the
Item table.
10 To add the product items you want to order, either type the
Item Code in the Product field, or click the Search
icon
and select an item from the list.
The product you added now appears on the Item table in the
middle of the window.
11 In the Description field, leave the description shown or
modify, if necessary.
12 In the Quantity field, type the number you would like to order.
You can order a quantity greater than 1, even for serialized
items.
13 In the Size field, leave the default value shown, or type a
different size.
14 In the Price field, leave the default price (Listed Cost) for the
item shown, or type a new price.
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15 In the Discount % field, leave the default discount shown, or
type a new discount.
Sirius will automatically calculate and display the Net price for
the item (Price less Discount% = Net Price).
16 Click OK.
The cursor returns to the Product field, ready for you to add
additional items to the Purchase Order.
17 Once you’ve finished adding the items to be ordered, click
Cancel.
Each item you added is shown in the Item table along with the
number of quantities ordered and the total price.
Click the
icon to
view detailed inventory
information for the item.
This includes the Quantity
in inventory (Qty Inv), the
Minimum Qty, Maximum
Qty and the Listed Cost.
ŠTo modify the items in the Purchase Order, click on the
Item, then click Modify.
ŠTo add new items to the Purchase Order, click Add.
ŠTo remove items from the Purchase Order, click on the
Item and then click Remove.
18 If there are other fees associated with the purchase, click the
Other Fees F5 button, and then do the following:
ŠIn the F & B% field, type the freight and board
percentage rate, if applicable. Sirius will automatically
calculate the F & B amount.
ŠIn the Exchange Rate field, type the rate if payment is
in foreign currency.
ŠIf there are miscellaneous ’other fees’, type a
description in the Description Other Fees field and
then type the amount of the fee in the Amount Other
Fees field.
ŠClick the
icon to save the information.
19 To generate the Purchase Order, click Finalize.
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The Purchase Order appears. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
To return to the Header
page of the Purchase
Order, click the Header
F4 button at the bottom of
the window.
To cancel the entire
Purchase Order, click
Cancel Transaction at
the bottom of the window.
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Creating a Purchase Order for Multiple Branches
You can create Purchase Orders for other branches in your organization.
This allows you to centralize your purchases by managing them from a
single branch.
■ To Create a Purchase Order for Multiple Branches:
.
1
On the PURCHASE MANAGEMENT window, in the Branch
field, select the destination Branch for the order you are
creating.
2
The remaining instructions are the same as those for regular
purchase orders. See “Creating a Purchase Order” on
page 188.
Keep in mind the following when creating multi-branch
Purchase Orders:
ŠOrders created for branches other than the current one
are flagged with a red dial in the header, to the right of
the number of the destination branch. This dial
indicates that the order has been created for another
branch, but has not yet been exported to it. Once an
order has been exported, the dial turns green.
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ŠNew numbers are created for exported orders according
to destination branch enumeration systems, although
the original number from source branch will be
preserved as the reference number.
ŠYou can search for an order according to its main
branch PO number. If the order is to be modified, the
changes must be made in the branch the order was
created. The dial switches back to red to indicate that
the modified order must be re-exported. Simply repeat
the export, transfer and import processes.The dial will
then switch back to green to indicate the export is
completed. Order reception is performed at the
destination branch.
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Receiving Purchased Inventory Items
Receiving Equipment Ordered Using a Purchase
Order
You can receive equipment that you’ve ordered with a Purchase Order
and add them to your inventory.
■ To Receive Equipment Ordered Using a Purchase
Order:
1
Choose Purchase - Order from the INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT window.
2
The PURCHASE MANAGEMENT window appears.
3
In the Order no. field, click the Search
icon and select the
Purchase Order whose equipment you’ve received.
4
Click the
icon.
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19 6
The PURCHASE ORDER RECEIPT window will appear.
5
Review the original purchase order information shown on the
RECEIPT window. If the equipment you received is a
serialized item, keep in mind the following:
ŠThe date entered in the Shipping Date field is the one
that will appear in the Purchase Date field in the
SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window.
Equipment received from
a multi-branch Purchase
Order must be recorded
in the destination
branches, not in the main
branch. See “Receiving
Purchased Inventory
Items” on page 195.
ŠThe Invoice no. will also appear on the
SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window.
6
If the invoice number is unknown when you receive the
equipment, enter your supplier’s packing slip number in the
Reference field.
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7
19 7
Click OK.
The RECEIPT window will appear showing the items that were
ordered on the original Purchase Order.
8
Do one of the following to verify that you have received the
items:
ŠIf you received all of the items, click the
icon.
Š If you received one or more of the items, but not all,
click on the items received and then click the
icon.
ŠIf you received less quantities for an item than ordered,
do the following:
ŒClick on the item in the table.
ŒClick Modify.
ŒType the quantity received in the Received field.
The remaining quantities are considered to be
back-ordered.
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9
19 8
Click the Finalize button to complete the receipt process.
Inventory quantities are now adjusted to include the new
items.
10 If the items you ordered are serialized, the following window
will appear displaying the new extension numbers for each
serialized item in the order.
By default, Sirius assigns each new serialized item the next
available extension number. Do one of the following:
ŠClick Cancel and leave the remaining extension fields
blank. You will have to enter the information later on
the SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window. See
“Managing Serialized Items” on page 89.
Š Complete any or all of the remaining fields
shown—Model, Serial #, Registration Code, Location
and Specific Price. If you complete the fields here, you
will not have to open the SERIAL NUMBER
MANAGEMENT window and enter the information. Click
OK once you’ve finished.
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A message will appear after you click Cancel or OK,
stating "Do you Want to Print Labels".
11 Click "Yes" to print labels, otherwise, click "No".
For details and instructions on printing labels, see page 214.
The Order Reception report will appear. See “Printing Forms
and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
The Order Reception
report should be given to
Accounts Payable so they
can reconcile the items
received, with the items
shown on the Supplier’s
invoice.
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Setting Up Meters on Rental Equipment
Creating a Meter Item
You can create a meter item which can then be attached to another item
to measure usage. The instructions for adding a meter item are similar to
those used when adding other item types. See “The Item Management
window will appear.” on page 76 or “Modifying Item Details” on
page 87.
■ To Set Up a Meter:
1
2
3
Choose Items from the INVENTORY MANAGEMENT menu.
The Item Management window appears.
Click Add.
In the Item Code field, type a code that identifies the meter
Item.
It is recommended that the meter code begin with a
non-numeric or alphabetical character so as to put the meters
outside the scope of your real inventoy.
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20 1
For example, if you entered a meter code of +HM1025 it would
indicate the following:
•
+ sets the code outside the normal scope of inventory items.
•
HM indcates that it is an hour meter and it is followed by the
item code using this meter (1025)
•
1025 is the item code
4
In the Type field, click the down-arrow button and select
"Meter".
5
In the Category field, click the Search
icon and select the
Item Category to which the item belongs.
6
In the Description field, type a description that uniquely
identifies the item as a metered item. For example, hour
meter, mileage meter, etc.
7
In the Serial #: field, leave "No" selected if the metered item is
not serialized, otherwise, select "Yes".
8
In the With Meter field, leave "No" selected.
The With Meter field is used when attaching a metered item to
another item to measure usage. See page 78 to find out how
to attach a metered item to another item.
9
In the Availability field, select "No Verification".
10 In the Key Item field, select "No".
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20 2
11 Click the Rental tab. The Rental tab will appear.
12 In the Granted column, move through and enter the granted
hours of usage for every rental period.
13 In the Sales Price field, type the price to charge by meter unit
(hour, mile. etc.) for excess usage.
14 Click OK to until you reach the Comments tab.
15 Enter your comments.
16 Click OK to return to the Description tab.
17 Click OK.
18 Click Quit.
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20 3
Viewing and Adjusting Meter Usage in
Serial Number Management
You can view and adjust meter usage for an item directly on the
SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window.
■ To View and Adjust Meter Usage:
1
Choose Items from the Inventory Management window.
The ITEM MANAGEMENT window appears.
2
Use either the Search or Item Code fields to select the item
whose meter usage you want to view
See “The Item Management window will appear.” on page 76
or “Modifying Item Details” on page 87.
You could adjust the
meter usage by clicking
Modify and entering a
new total in the Meter
field. Normally, though,
meter usage is adjusted
on the RENTAL
CONTRACT window
when an item is returned.
See “Viewing and
Adjusting Meter Usage on
the Rental Contract” on
page 204.
3
Click Serial # in the toolbar at the bottom of the window.
The SERIAL NUMBER MANAGEMENT window will appear.
The current meter usage for the item is shown in the
Meter field.
4
Click OK to exit.
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20 4
Viewing and Adjusting Meter Usage on the Rental
Contract
You can view and adjust the meter usage for an item on the Rental
Contract in the following circumstances:
•
prior to the item going out on a rental. This allows you to record
the beginning usage value of the item prior to the rental.
•
after the item has been returned to determine the amount of
usage to charge the cusotmer.
Rental Item Going Out:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window appears.
2
Select the customer whose is renting the metered item.
3
In the Item field, either type the item code for the metered item
you want to adjust, or click the Search icon
and select the
item.
4
In the Quantity field (if based on hourly use), or Mileage
(if based on mileage), type the current usage value on the
meter for the item going out.
5
Click OK.
The Hour or Mileage metered item is added to the table.
Rental Item Returned:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window appears.
2
Select the customer whose metered item you are returning.
3
In the Trs field, search for and select the rental contract you
are closing. See “Searching for Rental Contracts” on page 144
for instructions.
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4
Click the Transformation
20 5
icon.
The RENTAL INVOICE window will appear.
5
In the Item field, either type the item code for the metered item
you want to adjust, or click the Search icon
and select the
item.
6
Read the meter on the returned item to determine the usage
value.
7
In the Close Contract field, type the new usage amount and
then click OK.
8
Click the
icon to return the metered item as you would
any other item. See “Closing Rental Contracts” on page 162.
Notice that Balance column shows the number of hours, or the
mileage amount used by the customer.
Before returning the
items, you can click the
Meter button to view the
number of hours, or
amount of mileage to be
charged to the customer
based on the usage you
entered.
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20 6
Transferring Stock between Branches
Transferring Bulk Stock Items to another Branch
You can use the INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window to transfer bulk
stock items between Branches in your organization.
■ To Transfer Bulk Stock to Another Branch:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustment on the Inventory
Management menu.
The INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Description field, type "Inventory Transfer to Branch
No. (insert number)".
4
Click Detail F3.
5
In the Item field, either type the code of the Item that is being
transferred or click the Search
icon and select the item
from the list.
6
In the Quantity field, type -1 to indicate the item is being
transferred out of your inventory.
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7
In the Cost field, type the cost of the item.
8
Click OK.
20 7
The item now appears in the Item table.
9
Click Cancel.
10 Click Header F4.
11 Click OK.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to print labels?"
12 Click "No".
Once you’ve removed the print label message, the
Inventory Adjustment report appears. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
The Inventory Adjustment report lists the item quantity that
was transferred and should be sent (along with the item) to the
receiving Branch, See “Receiving Transferred Stock” on
page 210.
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20 8
Transferring a Serialized Item to another Branch
You can use the INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window to transfer
serialized items between Branches in your organization.
■ To Transfer Serialized Items to Another Branch:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustment on the Inventory
Management menu.
The INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Description field, type "Inventory Transfer to Branch
No. (insert number)".
4
Click Detail F3.
5
In the Item field, either type the code of the serialized Item
being transferred, or click the Search
icon and select the
item from the list.
6
In the Quantity field, type -1 to indicate the item is being
transferred out of your inventory.
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7
20 9
Click the down-arrow button beside Extension and select the
extension number being transferred.
Since serialized items are single quantity items, Sirius will
automatically enter the Quantity as "0".
8
Click OK.
The item now appears in the Item table.
9
Click Cancel.
10 Click Header F4.
11 Click OK.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to print labels?"
12 Click "No".
Once you’ve removed the print label message, the Inventory
Adjustment report appears. See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33.
The Inventory Adjustment report lists the item quantity that
was transferred and should be sent (along with the serialized
item) to the receiving Branch. See “Receiving Transferred
Stock” on page 210.
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21 0
Receiving Transferred Stock
You can use the INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window to receive stock
transferred from another Branch in your organization.
■ To Receive Stock from Another Branch:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustment on the Inventory
Management menu.
The INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Description field, type "Inventory Transfer Received
from Branch No. (insert number)".
4
Click Detail F3.
5
In the Item field, either type the code of the Item that is being
transferred or click the Search
icon and select the item
from the list.
Sir iu s Us er G ui de
2 11
6
In the Quantity field, type +1 to indicate the item is being
transferred into your inventory.
7
In the Cost field, type the cost of the item.
8
In the Sale Price 1 field, accept the price shown for the item.
or modify it, if necessary.
9
Click OK.
The item now appears in the Item table and the cursor returns
to the Item field.
If the Item you are adding
is a serialized item, click
the down-arrow button
beside Extension and
select the extension of
the item you received.
Since serialized items are
single quantity items,
Sirius will automatically
enter the Quantity as "1".
10 Click Cancel.
11 Click Header F4.
12 Click OK.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to print labels?"
13 Click "No".
Once you’ve removed the print label message, the Inventory
Adjustment report appears. See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33.
The Inventory Adjustment report lists the item quantity that
was added to your inventory.
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21 2
Handling Broken or Lost Rental
Equipment
Identifying Equipment that is Missing
You can use the LOST RENTALS window to record rental items that are
lost.
■ To Identify Equipment that is Missing:
1
Choose Lost Rentals from the Customer Operations menu.
The LOST RENTALS window appears.
2
Click the Add button.
3
In the Salesclerk field, select the name of the Salesclerk
reporting the item missing.
4
In the Period Day(s) and Hours field, type the number of days
and/or hours the item has been missing.
5
In the Code field, either type the Item Code, or click the Search
icon and select the Item from the list.
6
In the Qty field, type the quantity of the item.
7
In the Value field, type the cost of the item.
8
Click OK.
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21 3
Adjusting Inventory for Lost or Stolen Equipment
You can use the INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window to adjust your
inventory for lost or stolen equipment.
■ To Adjust Inventory for Lost or Stolen Equipment:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustment on the Inventory
Management menu.
The INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT window will appear.
In order to maintain an
accurate inventory, it’s
important that you enter a
brief, concise description
of why you are adjusting
the inventory quantity.
Do not leave this field
blank.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Description field, type "Lost Equipment" "or "Stolen
Equipment" depending on the reason for the adjustment.
4
Click Detail F3.
5
In the Item field, either type the code of the Item that is lost or
stolen, or click the Search
icon and select the item from
the list.
6
If the lost or stolen item is a serialized item, click the
down-arrow button in the Extension field and select the
applicable extension number. If not, go to step 7.
Sirius will automatically enter the quantity as -1 to reduce the
inventory quantity for this item by ’1".
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21 4
7
In the Quantity field, type the quantity of the item that is lost
or stolen. Make sure you enter a minus (-) sign in front of the
number, so Sirius will reduce the inventory quantity for the
item.
8
In the Cost field, type the cost of the item.
9
In the Sale Price 1 field, accept the price shown for the item.
or modify it, if necessary.
10 Click OK.
Since serialized items are
single items, the quantity
can only be "0" or "1".
Therefore, if one is lost or
stolen the quantity will be
reduced to "0".
The item now appears in the Item table and the cursor returns
to the Item field.
11 Click Cancel to display the following action buttons:
ŠTo add additional items that were lost or stolen, click
Add.
ŠTo modify the item quantity information, click on the
item, click Modify, make your changes and then click
OK.
ŠTo remove an item, click on the item, click Remove and
then click OK.
12 To return to the HEADER section of the window, click Header
F4.
13 Click OK.
A message appears, stating "Do you want to print labels?
14 Click "Yes" if you would like to print bar code labels for each
Item Quantity you added. If not, click "No". See “Receiving
Transferred Stock” on page 210.
Choosing to allow Sirius
to print your bar code
labels at this point, means
you can avoid having to
create them in the future.
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21 5
Once you’ve removed the print label message, the Inventory
Adjustment report appears. See “Printing Forms and Reports
in Sirius” on page 33.
The Inventory Adjustment report lists each of the item
quantities you added, along with the cost of each.
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21 6
Charging for Broken, Lost or Stolen
Rental Equipment
You can charge a customer the sales price of an item if they report it has
been broken. lost or stolen. This is done at the time the rental equipment
is returned and you are closing out the contract.
■ To Charge for Broken, Lost or Stolen Equipment:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window appears.
Before you invoice the
customer, make sure all
items are returned,
including the item that
was broken, lost or stolen.
If you do not wish to
charge the customer for
the broken, lost or stolen
equipment, you should
still follow the procedures
shown in this section to
remove the item from
inventory.
2
Select the customer whose rental equipment was broken, lost
or stolen. See “Closing Rental Contracts” on page 162 for
complete instructions.
3
Click the Transformation
icon.
The RENTAL INVOICE window will appear.
4
Click the
icon to return the item(s0 as you would any
other item. See “Closing Rental Contracts” on page 162.
5
Click the Add button.
6
In the Item field, select the lost or stolen item you just
returned.
7
Click the arrow
beside the Type field to and change
"Rental" to "Sales". This allows you to process the transaction
as a Sales item and recover your costs.
8
In the Price field, type the amount you will charge the
customer for the item.
9
Click OK. A message will appear, stating "You are selling a
rental ite. Do you want to continue?"
10 Click "Yes"
The sales price you entered is added to the charge for the
rental and the customer will be invoiced both amounts.
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21 7
Adjusting Item Availability for
Maintenance or Repair
Viewing the Availability Status of Items
You can use the CONSULT TRANSACTIONS window to view the
availability status of items.
■ To View the Availability Status of Items:
1
Choose Consult Transactions on the Inventory
Management menu.
The CONSULT TRANSACTIONS window will appear.
To quickly locate an Item,
type the Item code in the
Search field and click Go,
or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
2
In the Item Code field, click the Search
icon and search
for the item whose availability you want to view or change.
3
The top section of the window displays the item’s immediate
availability for the current Branch. Click Multi-Branch to view
availability in other branches or Kit to see if the item is part of
a kit .
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21 8
Qty Inventory
Quanity in stock.
Qty Rented
Quantity currently rented and
unavailable.
Qty Available
Quantity currently available. Shown in
green if over 0, otherwise shown in red.
Qty ordered
Quantity ordered from Supplier, but not
yet received.
Qty reserved
Quantity reserved for future dates. This
does not affect immediate availability
4
The Rental Price section displays the rental rates for the
item— Minimum, 1 hour, 4 hours, 8 hours, Days, Weekend,
Week and Month.
5
The Availability section allows you to view an item’s
availability for a specific period:
ŠIn the From and To field, click the down-arrow button
and select a date from the calendar. Click the
Verification button.
The following availability information for the period
selected is displayed:
Qty Inventory
Quanity in stock.
Rent and Reserv.
Quantity currently rented or reserved for
the specified period.
Qty Quotation
Quantity quoted for the specified period.
Qty Available
Quantity currently available. Shown in
green if over 0, otherwise shown in red.
ŠClick F3 to view availability for a specified period of time
within the date range selected in the From and To
fields. In the Period field, type the number of days
and/or hours the item is needed by the customer.
For example, 3 days and 2 hours. Once you’ve entered
the time period, click Verification to view availability.
Siri us U se r Gu id e
ŠClick Multi-Branch to view availability in other
branches or Kit to see if the item’s kit availability.
6
The Type of Transactions section allows you to view and
access the Item’s transactions.
ŠClick on the applicable transaction button—Purchases,
Quotations, Reservations and Rentals to display the
list.
ŠDouble-click on a transaction to launch the
PURCHASE, QUOTATION, RESERVATION or RENTAL
window. View or modify the transaction, as necessary.
7
Click OK to exit the CONSULT TRANSACTION window.
21 9
Chapter 12
Accounting
This chapter shows you how to use Accounts Receivable to
enter payments, invoices and deposits for your rental or sales
transactions.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Managing Accounts Receivable
•
Balancing Cash
•
Closing Accounts at Day-End
•
Verifying Account Receivable Balances
•
Regenerating Item Quantities and Statistics
•
Closing the Accounting Period
•
Periodic Invoicing
•
Handling Pre-Invoicing
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22 1
Managing Accounts Receivable
Adding an Invoice to the Accounts Receivable
You can use the ENTER INVOICE window to manually add
outstanding invoices when
•
correcting a customer’s account.
•
writing off a bad debt.
•
installing Sirius and you want to enter the Account Receivables
that appear on your Statements of Account into the program.
?
1
To Add an Invoice to the Accounts Receivable:
Choose Enter Invoices from the Accounts Receivable menu.
The ENTER INVOICES window will appear.
Entering invoices on the
ENTER INVOICE window
does not affect your
inventory and is quicker
than entering them on the
INVOICE window in
Customer Operations.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Invoice # field, type the number of the invoice.
4
In the Customer # field, either type the "Customer Code", or
click the Search
icon and select the customer from the list.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
22 2
5
If the Customer has an order number, type it in the
Customer Order # field.
6
Type the date the invoice was issued in the Date field.
7
Type the date the invoice is due in the Due Date field.
8
In the Amount field, type the amount of the invoice, including
taxes.
Sirius will automatically insert the invoice amount in the
Debit field. (If the amount is negative, the invoice amount will
be inserted into the Credit box.)
9
Sirius will automatically
insert the due date based
on the terms specified for
the customer.
Click Detail.
The Invoice amount you entered is recorded as a Debit entry in
the G/L table as shown in the example below.
10 Since accounting requires offsetting entries, do the following
to create a Credit entry:
ŠIn the G/L no field, select the G/L account to which the
credit entry will be charged. Either type the GL Code, or
click the Search
icon and select a code from the list.
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ŠIn the Credit field, type the invoice amount in the Credit
field and press Enter.
The offsetting credit entry will appear in the GL table in the
Credit column.
11 Click Cancel.
ŠTo modify an entry, click on the applicable line in the
table and then click Modify.
ŠTo remove and entry, click on the applicable line in the
table and then click Remove.
12 Once you’ve finished making the entry, click Header F4 to
return to the top section of the window.
13 Click OK.
14 Click Quit.
22 3
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22 4
Searching for an Accounts Receivable Entry
You can search for and view customer invoices or payments using
the CUSTOMER MONITOR window.
?
1
To Search for an Accounts Receivable Entry:
Choose Customer Monitor from the Accounts Receivable
menu.
The CUSTOMER MONITOR window will appear.
2
To quickly locate a
customer record, type the
Customer code in the
Code field and click Go,
or use the control
buttons
at
the bottom of the window
to scroll through the
records.
Click the Search
icon beside the Code field.
The CUSTOMER SEARCH dialog box will appear.
3
Search for and select the customer whose Accounts
Receivable entries you want to view. For detailed instructions,
see “Searching for Customers” on page 64.
The window reappears with the customer’s invoices shown in
the Customer Statements table.
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The Customer Statements table displays:
ŠEach invoice issued to the customer (that has not been
paid), including the date issued, due date, amount,
payments, the current balance and the accumulated
Balance due.
To view the User who last
created and modified
information on the
CUSTOMER MONITOR
window, click the
icon. Click OK to exit.
ŠA breakdown of the current outstanding amount, the
amounts due over 30 days, 60 days and 90 days and
the total outstanding.
4
You can also perform the following additional tasks:
ŠTo view paid invoices for the customer, click the Include
paid invoices check box. In the From box that
appears, leave the current date selected or select a
new from date. All paid invoices that are later than the
From date will be displayed. Click Go. See “Entering
Payments for an Invoice in Accounts Receivable” on
page 229.
ŠTo view any outstanding invoices for the customer in
other Branches, click the Multi-Branch check box.
The customer’s payment
terms, Credit Line,
overdue Interest Rates
and the names of other
customers with whom
they are consolidating
their statements with are
also displayed.
ŠTo add comments, click the Modify button and enter
your message in the Comments box.
ŠTo block or unblock the Account, click Modify and then
select "Yes" or "No" in the Account Blocked field (top
of window). Blocking an account prevents the customer
from renting equipment or services.
22 5
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22 6
Viewing Credit Statistics
You can use the Credit Stats feature to view detailed credit
statistics for the customer.
? To View Credit Statistics:
1
Click the Credit Stats button.
The CREDIT STATISTICS dialog box will appear.
The following information is displayed:
2
Date Created
The date the customer was added.
Number of Invoices
Total number of invoices created for
the customer.
Total Invoices
The total amount of the invoices
Highest Invoices
The highest invoice amount.
Highest Credit
The highest amount owed
Average Number of
Days for Payment.
The average number of days the
customer takes to pay an invoice.
Click OK.
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22 7
Viewing Invoice History
You can use the Invoice History feature to view a detailed history
of the customer’s invoice transactions.
? To View Invoice History:
1
Click the Invoice History
icon.
The INVOICE HISTORY -CUSTOMERS dialog box will appear.
The following information is displayed:
Trs No.
Transaction Number
No Ctr
Contract Number
Type
Transaction type (6 = Sales Invoice,
7=Rental Invoice, 8 = Periodic
Invoice)
Date Start
The start date of the transaction.
Time Start
The time the transaction started.
Date End
The date the transaction ended.
Time End
The time the transaction ended.
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2
Item No.
The item number that was rented or
bought.
Next
The item number extension (if a
serialized item)
Description
A description of the item.
Qty
The quantity rented or purchased.
Price
The price per quantity.
Total
The total price of the transaction.
Click Ok.
22 8
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22 9
Entering Payments for an Invoice in Accounts
Receivable
You can post a payment for an outstanding invoice to the
Accounts Receivable.
This procedure is primarily used for cheque payments received by
mail (in most cases) for invoices in Accounts Receivable.
?
1
To Enter Payments for an Invoice:
Choose Enter Payments from the Accounts Receivable
menu.
The ENTER PAYMENTS window will appear.
2
Click Add.
3
In the Customer # field, either type the Customer Code, or
click the Search
4
icon and select the customer from the list.
Accept the current date as the Payment Date, or change to a
different date.
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5
23 0
In the Branch field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave "Current" selected If you only want to apply
payment to the outstanding customer’s invoices in the
current branch.
ŠSelect "All" if you want to apply the payment to all
outstanding customer’s invoices in all branches.
6
In the Reference field, type the payment reference number in
this box. For example, the customer’s check number, or credit
card authorization number.
7
In the Payment field, type the amount of the payment.
8
In the Method of Payment field, click the down-arrow button
and select the applicable method from the list—Cash, Check,
MasterCard, VIsa, American Express or Debit Card.
9
Click Detail.
The invoice table will appear listing each of the customer’s
outstanding invoices.
The Balance Due field
will automatically display
the amount you entered
in the Payment field.
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23 1
10 Choose one of the following methods to apply the payment:
ŠTo apply the payment to the first invoice in the Invoice
Table, click the Concurrent Payment
icon.
If the amount applied to the first payment is not used in
its entirety, the balance is applied to the following
invoice, and so on. Notice that the amount applied will
appear in the Payment column and the Balance
column shows the reduced amount.
The invoices in the table
are automatically sorted
by Branch Number. To
change the default sort
order, simply click the
column header of the sort
method you want to use.
For example, to sort by
Due Date, click Due Date
in the column header.
ŠTo apply the payment to a selected invoice, click on an
invoice in the table and then click the Invoice by
Invoice
icon. Any unused balance is entered into
the “Balance” column.
11 Click Modify and do any of the following:
ŠTo apply a discount to the payment, type the amount in
the Discount field. The amount entered in the discount
box is allocated to ledger account defined as payment
discount in “Customer Discount Group”.
ŠTo manually enter a payment, type the amount in the
Amount field.
12 Click Ok.
13 Click Header to return to the top of the ENTER PAYMENT
window.
14 Click Ok.
If the customer requires a
receipt for the payment
made, click the print
icon to print a
payment receipt.
15 Click Quit.
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23 2
Viewing Deposits
You can use the Current Deposits report to view a list of all
deposits you are holding for your customers.
These are the rental deposits you collected from the customer at
the time an item was rented. This report is useful in helping you
determine your current deposit liability.
?
1
To View Deposits:
Choose Deposits from the Accounts Receivable menu.
The CURRENT DEPOSITS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select "Current Deposits".
3
Click OK.
A report displaying your current deposits will appear.
See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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23 3
Generating a Check Deposit Form
You can generate a Cheque Deposit form that will list the cheques
to be deposited. The form can then be taken to the bank, along
with any cash deposits.
?
1
To Generate a Cheque Deposit Form:
Choose Check Deposit Form from the Accounts Receivable
menu.
A report will appear displaying the list of cheques for deposit.
See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
Only those cheques that
were entered on the
ENTER PAYMENT
window will appear on the
Check Deposit Form. See
“Entering Payments for
an Invoice in Accounts
Receivable” on page 229
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23 4
Balancing Your Cash
Generating the Cash Balance Report
You can generate a Cash Balance Report that lists the cash
amounts that should be in each of your Registers.
?
1
To Generate the Cash Balance Report:
Choose Cash Balance Reports from the Customer
Operations menu.
The CASH BALANCE REPORTS window will appear.
2
In the Requested Data field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Cash Balance Report".
3
In the Sort field, click the down-arrow button and select
"Alphabetical" to sort alphabetically by customer, or "Codes"
to sort by Customer Code.
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4
23 5
In the Branch section, do one of the following:
ŠLeave "Current" selected to generate a Cash Balance
Report report for the current Branch only,
ŠClick "Multi-Branch" to generate a Cash Balance Report
that includes amounts from all Branches.
It is recommended that
you use the Daily
Payment report for your
end of day cash balance
process .
5
In the For the Date of fields, enter the date, or range of dates
for the Cash Balance Report.
6
In the Close No. field, select the day or number of days to be
included in the report.
7
In the Balancing Level section, select the desired balancing
level—Branch, Cash or Salesclerk.
8
In the Report, G/L, Cash No. and Salesclerk no. fields,
match your selections with those you made in the previous
step. For Branch, choose "Report" or "G/L".
9
Click OK.
The Cash Balance Report appears. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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23 6
Accounting: Closing Accounts at DayEnd
Configuring an Automatic Close in Sirius
You can configure Sirius to automatically close Branch accounts
at day-end.
? To Configure an Automatic Close in Sirius:
1
Choose Automatic Close from the Configuration menu.
The AUTOMATIC CLOSE window will appear.
2
Use the arrow keys in the middle of the window, to include or
exclude Branches from the day-end close.
3
Click OK.
A message will appear, stating "Irreversible Operation".
4
Click OK to continue, or Cancel to exit
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
Performing a Manual Close in Sirius
You can use the CLOSE TRANSACTIONS window to manually
close accounts for a Branch.
? To Perform a Manual Close in Sirius:
1
Choose Close > Branch from the File menu.
The CLOSE TRANSACTIONS window will appear.
The current date is automatically displayed.
2
Click OK.
A message will appear, stating "Irreversible Operation".
3
Click OK to continue, or Cancel to exit.
4
Click Quit.
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23 8
Accounting Verifying Account Receivable
Balances
Verifying Account Receivable Balances
You can have Sirius review and recalculate each customer
transaction to ensure that inventory quantities are correct. Sirius
will also generate a list of the corrections that were made during
the review.
? To Verify Account Receivable Balances:
1
Choose Quantity and Balance Verification from the
Maintenance menu.
The CUSTOMER BALANCE and QUANTITY IN INVENTORY
window will appear.
2
Click OK to start the verification.
3
Click Quit.
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23 9
Accounting: Regenerating Item
Quantities and Statistics
Verifying Serialized Item Quantities
You can have Sirius recalculate the bulk item quantities and
serialized item quantities shown in Item Management. See “The
Item Management window will appear.” on page 76 and “Adding
Serialized Items” on page 90.
When recalculating, Sirius adds the serialized quantity to the
bulk item quantity and inserts the total in the Quantity Inventory
field on the ITEM MANAGEMENT window. Sirius will also
generate a list of the corrections that were made to your
inventory.
? To Verify Serialized Items Quantities:
1
Choose Serialized Items Quantity Verification from the
Maintenance menu.
The QUANTITY VERIFICATION window will appear.
2
Click OK. A warning message will appear.
3
Click OK to continue, or Cancel to exit.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
24 0
Verifying Revenue for Serialized Items
You can use Sirius to verify the amount sales or rental revenue
generated by serialized items.
? To Verify Revenue for Serialized Items:
1
Choose Serialized Items Revenue Verification from the
Maintenance menu.
The SERIALIZED ITEMS REVENUE window will appear
indicating that the file is being processed.
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24 1
Regenerating Item Statistics
You can use Sirius to recalculate item statistics for all items in
your inventory. This may be necessary if your statistics do not add
up correctly. For example, if a transaction was not properly
completed due to a technical problem.
Once the processing is completed, Sirius will generates a list of
the corrections that were made to your inventory.
? To Regenerate Item Statistics:
1
Choose Item Statistics Verification from the Maintenance
menu.
The ITEM STATISTICS RECALCULATION window will appear.
2
Click OK.
The system will begin to regenerate your item statistics.
Once it’s finished, a message will appear, stating
"Reconstruction Complete". Click OK.
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24 2
Closing the Accounting Period
Generating a Statements of Account
At the end of the accounting period, you can generate a
statements of account that lists all outstanding invoices and
unpaid balances.
?
1
To Generate a Statements of Account:
Choose Statement of Account from the Accounts
Receivable menu.
The STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNT window will appear.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
choose "Statements of Account".
3
The current date is automatically inserted in the For the Date
of field. Accept the date shown or enter a different date.
4
In the Branch field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave Current selected to indicate the Statements of
Account should be generated for the current branch
only.
ŠClick Multi-Branch if you want the Statements of
Account to include all branches in your organization.
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5
24 3
To select the invoices to print on the Statements of Account,
do one of the following:
ŠTo print a batch of invoices for specific date, click the
Print invoices in batch check box and enter a date in
the Invoice From field.
ŠTo print all invoices, click the Print all invoices check
box and enter a date in the Invoices from field.
ŠTo print invoices for a specific customer, type the
Customer code in the Select field.
The Statements of
Account can only be
sorted by Customer
Code, not Description.
ŠTo print invoices for a range of customers, type the first
Customer Code in the Range field and the last
Customer Code in the range, in the to field.
6
Click OK.
The Statements of Account appears. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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24 4
Accounts Aging
The Accounts Aging report allows you to view your receivables to
see which customers have not paid their invoices within 30 days,
60 days, 90 days, etc.
?
1
To Run the Accounts Aging Report:
Choose Statement of Account from the Accounts
Receivable menu.
The STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNT window will appear. See
sample on page 242.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
choose "Accounts Aging".
3
In the Branch field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave Current selected to indicate the Account Aging
report should be generated for the current branch only.
ŠClick Multi-Branch if you want the Account Aging
report to include all branches in your organization.
.
4
To view invoices for a specific customer, type the Customer
code in the Select field.
5
To view invoices for a range of customers, type the first
Customer Code in the Range field and the last
Customer Code in the range, in the to field.
6
Click OK.
The Accounts Aging report will appear.
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24 5
Issuing Interest
You can set up Sirius to automatically calculate interest on
overdue accounts once they are paid.
?
1
To Issue Interest:
Choose Issue Interest from the Accounts Receivable menu.
The ISSUE INTEREST window appears.
The interest you set up
will only be generated
when the amount due
from the customer is
received.
The following information is already displayed:
Date of Last
Issuance
The last date on which interest was
calculated. A new issuance will only
calculate interest incurred from this date.
Interest on Interest
"Yes" is displayed if interest will be applied
on overdue interest. If not, "No" will
appear. This option is set during Sirius
configuration. See “Entering Surcharge
Rates” on page 46.
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Minimum Amount
24 6
The minimum amount that must be
overdue before interest will be applied.
This prevents applying interest to relatively
small amounts owing.
This option is set during Sirius
configuration. See “Entering Surcharge
Rates” on page 46.
2
In the Date of New Issuance field, type the date on which
interest will be calculated. This function calculates interest as
of the due date of all customer invoices and will become the
“Date of Last Issuance”.
3
In the Calculate According to fields, do one of the following:
ŠLeave "Due Date" selected to calculate the interest
from the due date to the issue interest date, in
proportion to the number of days.
Example:
Invoice Date: Feb 15, 2000
Amount: 100$
Term: 30 days
Interest: 12%
Date of Issuance: April 30, 2000
Date due: Feb15, 2000 + 30 days = March 16, 2000
Days late: April 30, 2000 – March 16, 2000 = 45 days
Interest calculation: 100$ x 12% x 45 / 365 = $1.48
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24 7
ŠClick the Fixed Date check box if you prefer to
calculate interest based on the Statements of Account
due dates, rather than the due date of each invoice. All
invoices with a due date equal to or greater than the
indicated fixed dated will carry over the interest of this
fixed date to the date of issuance.
Example:
Invoice Date: Feb 15, 2000
Amount: 100$
Term:
30 days
Interest: 12%
Date of issuance: April 30, 2000
Date due: Feb 15, 2000 + 30 days = March 16, 2000
Fixed Date: March 31, 2000
Days late: April 30, 2000 – March 31, 2000 = 30 days
Interest Calculation: 100$ x 12% x 30 / 365 = $0.99
4
Click OK.
A message will appear, stating " Interest Issuance Complete".
5
Click OK.
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24 8
Closing the Accounting Period
This section shows the Sirius reports you should run before
closing your monthly or yearly accounting period.
The reports should be given to your accountant and represent a
’snapshot’ of your inventory and A/R at year end. The reports
must be generated before you start the new month or year.
Inventory Value List Reports
Generate these reports when closing out your fiscal year to
obtain a list of all your equipment and its value.
?
To Run a Serialized Sales Items - Inventory Value:
1
Choose Items from the Reports menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select " Inventory Value - Serial Numbers – Summary"
3
Select your report parameters and then click OK to run the
report. See “Understanding Report Criteria” on page 294.
?
To Run a Bulk Sales Items - Inventory Value Report:
1
Choose Items from the Reports menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Inventory Value - Average Cost".
3
Specify the following report criteria:
ŠItems : Not Serialized
ŠSelect: Type
ŠRange: 2 to 2(for Sale)
4
Click OK to run the report.
?
To Run Serialized Rental Items - Inventory Value:
1
Choose Items from the Reports menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select " Inventory Value - Serial Numbers – Summary"
3
Select your report parameters and then click OK to run the
report. See “Understanding Report Criteria” on page 294.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
?
24 9
To Run a Bulk Rental Items - Inventory Value
1
Choose Items from the Reports menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Inventory Value - Average Cost".
3
Specify the following report criteria:
ŠItems : Not Serialized
ŠSelect: Type
ŠRange: 1 to 1(for Rental)
4
Click OK to run the report.
Accounts Receivables
You should generate these reports when closing your fiscal year
to obtain a list of all your outstanding Account Receivable
amounts.
?
To Run a Statement of Accounts Report (Aging):
1
Choose Statement of Accounts from the Accounts
Receivable menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select " Accounts Aging".
3
In the For the Date of field, select "Year End".
See “Accounts Aging” on page 244.
4
Click OK to run the report.
Current Deposits
?
To Run a Deposits Report:
1
Choose Deposits from the Accounts Receivable menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Current Deposits"
3
Select your report parameters and then click OK to run the
report. See “Understanding Report Criteria” on page 294.
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25 0
List of Rental Equipment Sold
?
To Run List of Rental Equipment Sold by Item Report:
1
Choose Customer Transaction History from the Reports
menu.
2
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
select "List of Rental Equip. Sold by Item".
3
In the For the date of field, select "Fiscal Year".
4
Select your report parameters and then click OK to run the
report. See “Understanding Report Criteria” on page 294.
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25 1
Calculating Global Selling Prices Information
You can calculate the global selling price by category/supplier.
Instructions for both methods are shown in this section.
Calculating Global Selling Prices
1
Choose Global Selling Prices Calculation from the
Maintenance menu.
The AUTOMATIC SELLING PRICE CALCULATION window
appears.
2
In the Item Category field, type the applicable "Item Category"
for which you want to change prices, or range of "Item
Categories".
3
In the Percentage field, type the price percentage change you
want to apply.
4
Click OK. The following warning message will appear.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
25 2
Calculating Selling Prices by Category/Supplier
1
Choose Category/Supplier Selling Prices Calculation from
the Maintenance menu.
The MAINTENANCE SELLING PRICE CALCULATION window
appears.
2
In the Select field, click the down-arrow button and select
"Item Category" or "Supplier"
3
In the Range field, type the range of "Item Category Codes" or
"Supplier Code" whose item price you want to change.
4
In the Percentage field, type the price percentage change you
want to apply.
5
In the Cost field, leave "Real Cost" displayed, if you want the
the real cost of the item to be used, or click "Listed Cost" if
you want to use the list cost for the item.
6
Click OK. The following warning message will appear.
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Generating Period-End Financial Reports
You can generate the period-end financial reports at the end of
your accounting period.
To Generate Period-End Financial Reports:
?
1
Choose Financial History Reports > Close Reports from the
Maintenance menu.
The CLOSE REPORTS window appears.
2
3
In the Requested data field, click the down-arrow button and
choose one of the following reports:
•
Report by Transaction
•
Report by Transaction - Detailed
•
Report by G/L -Detailed
•
Report by G/L - Summary
The current date is automatically inserted in the For the Date
of field. Accept the date shown or enter a different date.
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In the Branch field, do one of the following:
ŠLeave Current selected to indicate this report should be
generated for the current branch only.
ŠClick Multi-Branch if you want the Statements of
Account to include all branches in your organization.
5
In the For the Date of fields, enter the date, or range of dates
for the report you are generating.
6
In the Close No. field, select the day or number of days to be
included in the report,
7
In the Balancing Level section, select the desired balancing
level—Branch, Cash or Salesclerk.
8
In the Report, G/L, Cash No. and Salesclerk no. match your
selection here with your selection in the previous step. For
Branch, choose "Report" or "G/L".
9
Click OK.
The Period-End Financial Report will appear. See “Printing
Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Periodic Invoicing
If a customer has rented item(s) for an extended period of time,
you may want to invoice them periodically during the lengthy
rental period, instead of waiting for the items to be returned.
The benefits of periodic invoicing are:
•
Collection is staggered throughout the duration of the
contract. This means you avoid having to finance your
customers over long periods.
•
Periodic invoices are usually generated on a monthly basis.
An invoice is issued for each rental contract that has at least a
one-month period since the last invoicing.
•
A month may be calculated according to the calendar (e.g:
from April 1st to May 1st) or a fixed number of days (e.g.: 28
days). Therefore, a month of rental is invoiced as soon as the
contract covers a period of 28 days or more.
•
Periodic invoicing can be done for an individual customer
from their rental contract, or multiple customers from
Accounts Receivable.
Configuring Sirius for Periodic Invoices
Before you can use the Periodic Invoice function you must first
activate the Periodic Control option from the Configuration menu.
Once activated, a Periodic Control field will appear in all
Transaction screens on the Delivery Tab.
?
See "Setting Customer
Transactions" in
"Appendix A" for a
detailed description of the
periodic invoice
configuration.
To Configure Sirius for Periodic Invoices:
1
Choose Branches > Customer Transactions from the
Configuration Menu.
2
Click the Modify button.
3
In the left-hand column towards the bottom, locate the
Periodic Control? field and select "Yes".
4
Click OK and then Quit.
A Periodic Control field will now appear on all Transaction
screens, including the Rental Contract in the Delivery tab. See
“Generating Periodic Invoicing from Rental Contracts” on
page 256
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Generating Periodic Invoicing from Rental
Contracts
During a customer’s rental period, you can use the Periodic
Invoice option to invoice a customer directly from the Rental
Contract.
?
To Generate a Periodic Invoice from a Rental Contract.
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
2
On the RENTAL CONTRACT screen, click the Search
icon
beside the Trs field.
The SEARCH RENTAL CONTRACT dialog box will appear.
3
Select the Rental Contract you want to invoice and click OK.
4
Click the Delivery button in the middle of the screen.
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5
Click the Modify button.
6
In the Periodic control field, click the down-arrow button and
click "Yes".
7
Click OK.
8
Click the Modify button in the middle of the screen.
9
In the To field, select the date up to which you want to invoice
the customer. For example, if the rental is for two months, and
you want to invoice after one month, change the To date to
reflect one month.
10 Click the Invoice button in the middle of the screen.
The Finalizer tabs will appear showing the Total Due to date,
or from the date the customer was last invoiced.
11 Click OK to generate the invoice.
The Invoice (Rental) form will appear ready for you to print and
send to the customer.
Generating Periodic Invoices in the Accounts
Receivable
Periodic Invoices can be generated directly from Accounts
Receivable for all rental contracts
?
1
Generate Periodic Invoices in Accounts Receivable:
Choose Periodic Invoicing from the Accounts Receivable
menu.
The PERIODIC INVOICE screen will appear.
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2
In the Invoicing Date field, type the base date from which you
want your long-term contracts to be invoiced.
3
In the Number of days field, type the number of days in a
month.
4
In the Periodic Control section, specify which contracts
should be invoiced periodically:
5
•
Contracts with peridoic: Only those contracts with the
periodic invoicing option.
•
Contracts without periodic: Only those contracts without the
periodic invoicing option.
•
All contracts: All rental contracts.
To generate the periodic invoices, click the Extract button.
The PERIODIC INVOICE screen will appear.
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Depending on the Periodic Control you selected in step 4, the
system will automatically select the contracts that are to
receive a Periodic Invoice.
6
Notice that the last date
the contract was invoiced
is shown in Green at the
top of the screen.
To see the contracts to be invoiced, click the arrow icon
the middle of the screen to advance to the next contract.
in
If necessary, you can modify or remove invoices from the
Periodic Invoice screen. See “Modifying a Rental Contract” on
page 123.
7
To generate the Periodic Invoices, click the blue icon
in the middle of the screen.
A Confirm dialog box will appear indicating the number of
invoices that will be created.
8
Click OK to generate the periodic invoices.
Once generated, a dialog box will appear.
9
Click OK.
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Handling Pre-Invoicing
You can use the pre-Invoicing feature in Sirius to either:
•
collect payment from a cash customer before the customer
leaves with the rental item, or
•
generate an invoice for a customer with an account at the
time the item is rented, rather than when it is returned.
Configuring Sirius for Pre-Invoicing
Before you can use the Pre-Invoicing feature you must first
activate the Periodic Control option from the Configuration menu.
?
To Configure Sirius for Pre-Invoicing:
1
Choose Branches > Customer Transactions from the
Configuration Menu.
2
Click the Modify button.
3
In the right-hand column near the top, locate the
Pre-invoicing option and select "Yes".
4
Click OK.
5
Click Quit.
A pre-Invoice button will appear on the Finalizers pane when
processing a transaction. See page 261
See "Setting Customer Transactions" in "Appendix A" for more
details regarding periodic invoice configuration.
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Generating Pre-Invoices
Pre-invoices are generated at the time an item is rented and after
you have either collected the cash payment or charged the
amount due to the customer’s account.
? To Extend a Rental Contract:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The Rental Contract screen will appear.
2
Create a Rental Contract using the instructions shown in
"Creating Rental Contracts" in "Chapter 6 - Managing
Transactions".
3
After you create the contract, click the Final button on the
Rental Contract screen.
The Finalizer Tabs will appear.
4
Click the
button.
Si riu s Us er Gu id e
The Rental Contract changes to the Invoicing screen. The
Finalizer tabs are still displayed and the amount owed is
shown in the Total Due field.
5
The next step is to apply the payment:
ŠIf a Cash customer, enter the payment In the
Payment 1 field and click OK.
Š If the customer has an account, click OK to display the
green Apply to Account dialog box. Click OK.
The Invoice Rental will appear.
6
Click Print to print the Invoice Rental and give it to the
customer. See “Quitting Sirius” on page 38. This is not the
Rental Contract. See step 9.
7
Click Close.
The Rental Contract screen reappears.
Notice that a green box
appears at the top of the
Rental Contract screen to
let you know the contract
has been invoiced
8
To print out the Rental Contract for the customer, click the
Print icon
in the top right-hand corner of the Rental
Contract Screen.
26 2
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Extending a Rental Contract
You can extend a rental contract for a customer who has been
pre-invoiced and then decides to keep the item for a longer period
of time.
? To Extend a Rental Contract:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The Rental Contract screen will appear.
2
Click the Modify button in the middle of the screen.
3
In the To field in the middle of the screen, select a new return
date.
Notice that the period field shows the number of days you
extended the Rental Contract.
4
Click the Extend button.
The Finalizers tab will appear on the Invoicing screen showing
the amount owing for the extended days you entered.
5
Cick OK to generate an Invoice for the extended days.
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Applying Credits to Pre-Invoices
If a customer was pre-invoiced and then returns the item before
the rental period expires, you can credit or refund them either in
cash or by applying the amount to their account.
?
To Apply Credits to Pre-Invoices:
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu. The Rental Contract screen will appear.
2
Click the transformation button
screen.
in the middle of the
The Rental Invoice screen appears.
The Period, Days and Hrs fields will automatically display the
number of days left in the rental period as a negative (-) This
represents the amount to be credited back to the customer.
3
Return the item(s) using the instructions shown in "Chapter 7 Processing Returns".
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Once you’ve returned the items, click the Final button.
The Finalizer Tabs appear showing the Amount of the credit to
be refunded to the customer.
5
The next step is to refund the customer:
ŠIf a Cash customer, enter the Total Due (amount your
refunding to the customer) In the Payment 1 field and
click OK.
Š If the customer has an account, click OK to display the
green Apply to Account dialog box and then click OK.
The Invoice Rental will appear showing the amount refunded
to the customer.
Entering Pre-Invoices in the Accounts Receivable
The procedures for manually entering pre-invoices in Accounts
Receivable are the same as those for regular invoices. See
“Adding an Invoice to the Accounts Receivable” on page 221.
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Recording Payments for Pre-Invoices
The procedures for entering a pre-invoice payment received from
a customer into Accounts Receivable are the same as those for
regular invoices. See “Entering Payments for an Invoice in
Accounts Receivable” on page 229.
Closing Pre-Invoices
Once a customer who has been pre-invoiced returns the rental
item, you can close the contract and issue a Return Form.
?
1
To Close a Pre-Invoice:
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
The RENTAL CONTRACT window will appear.
2
Return the items using the instructions shown in "Chapter 7 Processing Returns".
3
Click the Final button.
The Finalizer tabs will appear showing zero amount owing.
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26 7
Click OK.
The Return Form appears ready to be printed and given to the
customer.
Chapter 13
Managing Reports
This chapter shows you how to generate a variety of Sirius reports
to assist you in your sales and rental operations.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Basics
•
Customer Operations Reports
•
Customer Transaction History Reports
•
Statistics Report
•
Database Information Report
•
Customer Reports
•
Item Reports
•
Supplier Reports
•
Inventory Adjustment Reports
•
Order Reception Reports
•
Financial History Reports
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Basics
Understanding Report Criteria
When you select a report to generate, you are prompted to specify
a variety of report criteria. For example, you can specify the range
of data to include in your report, the time period and how you want
the data sorted.
The table below describes the report criteria that can be specified:
Sort
Determines the order in which information will
appear on the report.
For the Date Of
The date range for the report.
By default, the majority of reports for current
operations are generated for a period of one
month preceding the current date.
Transaction history reports are generated for a
period of one month preceding the current date.
Category
To run the report for a category of customers or
items.
Customer No.
The range of customers for which you would like
to produce a report.
To limit the customer range for your report,
simply enter the codes of the first and last
customers that you would like to appear.
By default, these reports are generated for the
complete list of your customers.
Item No.
The range of items for which you would like to
produce a report.
To limit the item range for your report, simply
enter the codes of the first and last items that you
would like to appear. By default, reports are
generated for the complete list of your items.
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Trans No.
27 0
The range of transactions for which you would
like to produce a report.
To limit the transaction number range for your
report, simply enter the codes of the first and last
transaction numbers that you would like to
appear. By default, reports are generated for the
complete list of your transactions.
Close No.
Select the day or number of days to be included
in the report.
Select
The range of criteria entries must match to be
included in the report.
Range
The range of entries to be included in the report.
Simply enter the first and last entries to be
included in the report. By default, reports are
generated for all your entries.
Item Quantity
To select which items will be included in the
report.
•
All = All items in the range.
•
Greater than 0 = Only the items in the
range whose inventory quantity is over 0.
•
Equal to 0 = Only the items in the range
whose inventory quantity is equal to 0.
•
Less than 0 = Only the items in the
range whose inventory quantity is less
than 0.
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Generating Reports: Customer
Operations Reports
Generating a Customer Operations Report
This set of reports allows you to obtain lists of transaction in
different formats. The transactions can be sorted by item, by
customer or by transaction number.
■
1
To Generate A Customer Operation Report:
Choose Customer Operation from the Reports menu.
The CUSTOMER OPERATIONS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
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4
27 2
Complete the required report criteria for the report you
selected. See “Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for
a description of the fields.
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Customer
Transaction History Reports
Generating a Customer Transaction History Report
This set of reports allow you to run and view a list of invoice
histories for an Item or a Customer.
■ To Generate A Customer Transaction History Report:
1
Choose Customer Transaction History from the Reports
menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTION HISTORY window will
appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
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4
27 4
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
Interpreting an Invoice History Report
The Invoice History Report lists the invoices that have been
issued to customers either by rental items or customer name.
This allows you to analyze which items are being rented and to
whom.
•
Invoice History By Item report allows you to specify the
category of items whose invoices you want to view, the Item
Number or range of Item Numbers, and the date and range of
dates the invoices were sent.
•
Invoice History By Customer report allows you to specify the
customer, or range of customers whose invoices you want to
view, and the date and range of dates the invoices were issued
■ To Generate an Invoice History Report:
1
Choose Customer Transaction History from the Reports
menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTION HISTORY window will
appear.
2
In the Requested Data field, select either "Invoice History by
Item" or "Invoice History by Customer".
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
4
5
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33
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Interpreting a Lost Rentals Report
The Lost Rentals report shows you the number of lost rental
opporunities your company experienced over a specific range of
dates.
A lost rental opportunity is defined as a rental requested by a
customer, that for a variety of reasons you were unable to
complete.
The report can be run by item or by date:
•
Lost Rentals Report - By Item allows you to specify lost rental
opportunities by item and the date and range of dates the
opportunities were lost.
•
Invoice Rentals Report - By Date report allows you to specify
the lost rental opportunities by date or range of dates
■ To Generate a Lost Rentals Report:
1
Choose Customer Transaction History from the Reports
menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTION HISTORY window will
appear.
2
In the Requested Data field, select either "Lost Rentals
Report - By Item" or "Lost Rentals Report - By Date".
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
4
5
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed. See “Printing Forms and
Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Statistics Reports
Generating a Statistics Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view detailed rental
statistics.
■
1
To Generate A Statistics Report:
Choose Statistics from the Reports menu.
The STATISTICS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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27 7
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Database
Information Reports
Generating a Database Information Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view detailed lists of your
Sirius configurations.
■ To Generate a Database Information Report:
1
Choose Database Information from the Reports menu.
The D ATABASE I NFORMATION L ISTS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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27 9
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Customer Reports
Generating a Customer Report
These set of reports allows you to run and view lists of your
customers in four different formats—telephone, address,
customer names an customer credit.
■ To Generate a Customer Report:
1
Choose Customers from the Reports menu.
The LISTS OF CUSTOMERS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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28 1
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Item Reports
Generating an Item Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view a variety item lists.
■ To Generate an Item Report:
1
Choose Items from the Reports menu.
The ITEM LISTS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list.
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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28 3
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Supplier Reports
Generating a Supplier Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view a list of your
suppliers in three different formats—telephone, address and
supplier details.
■ To Generate A Supplier Report:
1
Choose Supplier from the Reports menu.
The LIST OF SUPPLIERS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
4
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Inventory
Adjustment Reports
Generating an Inventory Adjustment Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view a list of inventory
adjustments performed to date.
■ To Generate an Inventory Adjustment Report:
1
Choose Inventory Adjustments from the Reports menu.
The LIST OF INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS window will
appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
4
Click OK. The report you selected is displayed as shown in
the example below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius”
on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Order Reception
Reports
Generating an Order Reception Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view a list of order
receptions by item or by transaction.
■ To Generate an Order Reception Report:
1
Choose Order Reception from the Reports menu.
The ORDER RECEPTION LISTS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
4
Click OK. The report you selected is displayed as shown in
the example below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in
Sirius” on page 33.
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Generating Reports: Financial History
Reports
Generating a Closing Report
This report allows you to consult previous closings by transaction
or by G/L number. For a detailed description of this report, see
“Closing the Accounting Period” on page 68.
Generating a Financial History Report
This set of reports allows you to run and view a Deposit, Manual
Invoice and Payment history for specific dates and customers.
■ To Generate a Financial History Report:
1
Choose Financial History Reports > History Reports from
the Reports menu.
The HISTORY REPORTS window will appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select a report from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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28 8
Click OK.
The report you selected is displayed as shown in the example
below. See “Printing Forms and Reports in Sirius” on page 33.
Serialized Item Profitability Report
The Serialize Item Profitability Report allows you to view the
revenue generated for each of your rental items. This is useful in
that it allows you to determine whether or not you should sell off
items that are not generating much revenue.
■ To Generate a Serialized Item Profitability Report:
1
Choose Customer Transaction History from the Reports
menu.
The CUSTOMER TRANSACTION HISTORY window will
appear.
2
Click the down-arrow button and select Serialized Item
Profitability from the list:
3
Complete the required fields for the report you selected. See
“Understanding Report Criteria” on page 269 for a description
of the fields.
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Chapter 14
Sharing Data
This chapter shows you how to import/export data between
Branches in your organization and into Microsoft Word TM and
Microsoft Excel TM .
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Exporting Data from Sirius
•
Importing Data from Sirius
•
Exporting Sirius Data to Microsoft Office Applications
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Exporting Data from Sirius
Exporting Customer, Item or Supplier Information
from Sirius
You can use the Export feature in Sirius to copy your Customer,
item or Supplier information from one Branch in your organization
to another.
You can export customers using either of the following methods:
•
Online for Branches that are linked in real-time.
•
Offline for Branches that are not linked. This will require the
receiving branch to use the Import feature to complete the
transfer.
■
To Export Customer, Item or Supplier Information
from Sirius:
1
Choose Export Customer, Item or Supplier from the
Maintenance menu.
An EXPORT window appears similar to the one shown below:
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29 2
2
If you want to copy the customer, item or supplier comments,
click the Copy Note with [Customer, Item, Supplier] check
box.
3
Click the down-arrow button to the left of the Export Date and
select the source branch.
4
In the Export Date field, type the date you want to export your
information.
The bottom section of the window displays the list of your
organization’s branches that have been set up in Sirius.
5
If you change your mind,
and decide not to export a
Branch, use the
button to transfer a
Branch back to the
left-side window.
On the left-side of the window, do the following:
ŠTo select a single Branch whose information you want to
export, click the
button. The Branch is transferred
to the right-side of the window.
ŠTo transfer all Branches shown in the left-side window,
click the
button. The Branches are transferred to
the right-side of the window.
6
Click OK to export the information.
ŠIf you are "online" your data will be exported to all
selected branches.
ŠIf you’re working "off-line" the data is sent to the export
file specified when you configured Sirius. The default
location is C:\PROGRAMFILES\SIRIUS\EXPORT.
To complete the export, the Branch receiving the
information will have to use the Import function to copy
the information from the export file. See “Importing
Branch Customer, Items, Supplier and Purchase Order
to Sirius” on page 294.
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29 3
Exporting Purchase Order Information from Sirius
You can use the Export feature in Sirius to copy Purchase Orders
from one Branch in your organization to another.
■
1
To Export Purchase Orders:
Choose Export Purchase from the Maintenance menu.
The EXPORT PURCHASE window appears.
Purchase Orders can only
be exported "off-line"
2
Click OK.
A message will appear, stating "Purchase Export completed!"
3
Click OK.
The data is sent to the export file specified when you
configured Sirius. The default location is
C:\PROGRAMFILES\SIRIUS\EXPORT.
To complete the export, the Branch receiving the information
will have to use the Import function to copy the information
from the export file. See “Importing Branch Customer, Items,
Supplier and Purchase Order to Sirius” on page 294.
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29 4
Importing Data to Sirius
Importing Branch Customer, Items, Supplier and
Purchase Order to Sirius
You can use the Import feature to import information that was
previously exported to a temporary file by another Branch. See
■
To Import Customer, Item, Supplier or Purchase
Information
1
Choose Import Customer, Item or Supplier from the
Maintenance menu.
The IMPORT ITEM, CUSTOMER, PURCHASE window
appears.
2
To begin the import, copy the files contained in the export file
(C:\PROGRAMFILES\SIRIUS\EXPORT) to the import file
(C:\PROGRAMFILES\SIRIUS\IMPORT).
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3
On the IMPORT ITEM, CUSTOMER, PURCHASE ORDER
window, click the check box beside each data type you want to
import—Import Customer, Import Item, Import Purchase
and Import Supplier.
The data is sent to the destination branch’s import file.
4
Repeat the above steps for each destination Branch.
Creating Item Key Words
You can use the Key Words function to create item key words
that were not imported with the Items.
■ To Create Item Key Words:
1
Choose Key Words Creation Function from the
Maintenance menu.
The CREATING ITEM KEY WORDS window appears.
2
Click OK to generate key words.
Once completed, a message will appear stating
"Operation Completed".
3
29 5
Click OK.
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29 6
Exporting Sirius Data to Microsoft Office
Applications
Setting Up an OBDC Link to Sirius
You can set up an ODBC link to the Sirius database for both
standalone and network systems.
■
To Set Up an OBDC Link to Sirius:
1
From your Desktop, choose Start > My Computer.
2
Click Control Panel.
3
Double-click on ODBC (32 bits) data source.
4
Click the User data source tab
5
Click Add...
6
Choose Microsoft Paradox Driver in the list
7
Click Finish.
The Paradox ODBC Installation window appears.
8
Enter a name in the Data source name field (ex.: Sirius)
9
Choose the "Paradox 5.X" version.
10 Remove the check mark in the Using current directory box.
11 Click Choose directory.
12 Choose the folder holding your files. It should be
C:\PROGRAM FILES\SIRIUS\DATAS.
13 Click on OK.
The PARADOX ODBC INSTALLATION window reappears.
14 Click OK.
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29 7
Using Sirius Data to do a Mass Mailing in Microsoft
Word
You can import Sirius data into Microsoft Word to do a mass
mailing.
■ To Use Sirius Data to do a Mass Mailing in Microsoft
Word:
The instructions for Mass
Mailing may vary
depending on the version
of Microsoft Excel you are
using. Check the
documentation that came
with your Microsoft Excel
applications.
1
From the Tools menu in Microsoft Word, choose Mass mailing.
2
Select the type of document that you want to produce (Letter,
labels or envelopes).
3
On the Toolbar, click Open Data Source to choose the data
source to use for your mass mailing.
4
Select the Data folder located on your server in the Sirius
folder.
5
Under File type, select "Paradox Files".
6
Select the "DClient.db" file from the list and then click Open.
7
In the CONFIRM DATA SOURCE window, select
"Sirius via ODBC ".
8
Activate the link.
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29 8
Using Sirius Data in Microsoft Excel
You can import Sirius data into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
■ To Use Sirius Data in Microsoft Excel:
1
Choose External Data from the Data menu in Microsoft Excel..
2
Choose Create Query.
The CHOOSE A DATA SOURCE window appears.
3
Select "Sirius" (or any other name you gave your database
under Paradox ODBC Installation).
4
Click OK.
5
Select the files or the fields that you need for your report and
click on " > " to move them over to the box to the right.
6
Click Next.
7
If you do not want all the data from a file to be included in your
report, you can enter selection conditions.
8
In the left box you select the field on which you want to
discriminate and then select the condition that you want to
apply to that field in the right part of the window.
If for example, you only want the customers from category A to
appear in Excel, you pick the category field in the left box
(CCliCat), then you select " Is equal to " in the drop box to the
right and you pick " A " in the list of category that appears
beside the " Is equal to " box.
9
Click Next.
10 Select the fields you want to use for sorting the data.
11 Click on Next.
12 Click Send the data to Microsoft Excel.
13 Click on Finish.
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29 9
Chapter 15
Sirius Peripheral
Devices
This chapter shows you how to configure the ID scanner,
electronic signature pad and PC charge from Sirius.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Configurating the ScanShell Properties
•
ID Scan Configuration from Sirius
•
ID Scan Configuration on Remote Desktop Connection
•
ID Scan Configuration on Remote Desktop from Sirius
•
Scanning ID Card into Customer Mangement Screen
•
Viewing the Scanned ID in a Transaction
•
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote Desktop Connection
•
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote Desktop from Sirius
•
Positioning the Electronic Signature on a Report
•
Creating the Electronic Signature on a Rental Contract
•
PC Charge Configuation from Sirius
•
Apply transactions with PCCharge from Sirius
•
Credit Card Report
•
PCCharge Warning Messages from Sirius
30 1
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Co n f ig ur at in g t h e S can Sh ell Pr op er ti es
Configurating the Scan Shell Properties
This system is based on a scanner that takes a picture of the
driver’s license, extracts the face for a larger view and completes
the customer database with the name, address, city and zip/postal
code of the client.
Before configurating the ID scan, please ensure the CD provided
to you with the hardware is installed in advance. Follow Windows
found new hardware wizard if necessary.
Before using the ID scan, you must configure the ScanShell’s
properties.
■
To Configure ID Scan Properties:
1
Create a "c:\temp" folder.
2
Use only IDScan v. 9.4.2 or higher (see www.scanshell.com).
3
Click on the 6th button on the toolbar (Document insertion
auto-detect).
4
Click on Configuration (The gear button above the exit button).
5
In the Automation Tab, select option button Auto Save.
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6
Click on File naming and type button.
7
Select option button Save to fixed file name.
8
Choose jpg from the drop down list.
9
Enter c:\temp\ in field Path.
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Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Co n f ig ur at in g t h e S can Sh ell Pr op er ti es
10 In the License text export tab, check Extract full image and
Extract face image to file checkboxes.
11 Enter c:\temp\IdText.txt in the Text file name edit box.
12 Uncheck Append records checkbox.
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13 In the Image and Print tab, leave as default.
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Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Co n f ig ur at in g t h e S can Sh ell Pr op er ti es
14 In the Live Update tab, do not perform any updates.
15 Double-click the IDScanOCR icon and insert the calibration
card before using the ID scan.
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30 6
ID Scan Configuation from Sirius
The following step needs to be configured in Sirius to identify the
executable path of the ScanShell application.
■
To Configure ID Scan Properties:
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu
2
Choose Customer Transactions..
3
Click on Modify.
4
Activate User ID Scan to YES.
5
Enter IDScan Folder executable path.
6
Click OK.
7
Click Quit.
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Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
ID S c an C o nf i gu r a ti on on Rem o t e De skt o p C on n ec ti o n
ID Scan Configuration on Remote
Desktop Connection
The following step allows you to access the ID Scan remotely.
■
To Use ID Scan on Remote Desktop:
1
Click the Start buton from the client’s workstation.
2
Click on Programs.
3
Click on Accessories.
4
Click on Communications.
5
Click on Remote Desktop Connection.
6
Click on the Options button.
7
In the Local Resources tab, check Disk drives.
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30 8
ID Scan Configuration on Remote
Desktop from Sirius
To run the ID Scan properly on terminal services, the Sirius Client
Interface executable must be running on each local computer.
■
It is important to place
Sirius Client Interface on
the same directory for
every client PC. Contact
our support team to
obtain Sirius Client
Interface executable file.
To Configure ID Scan from Sirius:
1
Choose Branches from the Configuration menu.
2
Choose Operations.
3
In the Operations 2 tab, enter the executable file on Sirius
Client Interface Path. For example:
\\TSCLIENT\C\SIRIUS\...CLIENTINTERFACE.EXE
4
Activate Use ID Scan Remotely option to YES.
5
Go to c:\Program Files\Card Scanning Solutions\ScanShell.
6
Double-click IDScanOCR.INI.Set Show Minimized = 1.
30 9
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Sca n ni n g ID C ard i nto C u stom e r M an ag em e nt Scre en
Scanning ID Card into Customer
Management Screen
The following allows you to add customer information into the
customer management screen.
■
To Scan ID Card into Customer Management:
1
Choose Customers from the Data menu.
2
Click the
3
Click the Exit button.
4
Click Yes button to add the new client.
button to begin scanning.
If the driver’s license
number already exist, a
message will be
prompted to ask if you
would like to update
client’s information.
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5
31 0
The customer managment screen will automatically complete
the client’s information as shown below :
311
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Viewi n g th e Sc an n ed I D i n a Tra n sac t io n
Viewing the Scanned ID in a Transaction
You can view your customer’s photo at the transaction level as
shown in the example below :
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31 2
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote
Desktop Connection
This feature allows you to capture customer’s signature on an
electronic pad. The signature is merged with the transaction and
saved in PDF format. All signed documents are attached to the
transaction and can be viewed or printed at any time.
Before configuring the signature pad, please ensure the CD
provided to you with the hardware is installed in advance.
■ To Use Signature Pad on Desktop Server:
1
Click on the Start button from the client’s workstation.
2
Click on Programs.
3
Click on Accessories
4
Click on Communications.
5
Click on Remote Desktop Connection.
6
Click on the Options button.
7
In the Local Resources tab, check Disk drives.
31 3
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
S ig n at u r e P ad Co n fi g ura t io n o n Re m ot e De sk to p f r o m S i r iu s
Signature Pad Configuration on Remote
Desktop from Sirius
To run the signature pad properly on terminal services, the Sirius
Client executable must be running on each local computer.
■
It is important to place
Sirius Client Interface on
the same directory for
every client PC. Contact
our support team to
obtain Sirius Client
Interface executable file.
To Configure Signature Pad from Sirius:
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
2
Choose Operations.
3
In the Operations 2 tab, enter the executable file on Sirius
Client Interface Path. For example:
\\TSCLIENT\C\SIRIUS\...CLIENTINTERFACE.EXE
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31 4
Positioning the Electronic Signature on a
Report
You have the option to adjust the position to how you want to
display the electronic signature on a transactional report.
This is the ONLY step
required to configure
signature pad if you are
running on a client
workstation.
■
To Adjust Signature Position from Sirius:
1
Choose Station from the Configuration menu.
2
Choose Terminal Configuration.
3
Activate Use Signature Pad option to YES.
4
Adjust the position (left, top) and size (width, height)
accordingly.
31 5
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Cr eat in g t h e E le ct r o in c S ig n at u r e on a R en ta l C o nt r a ct
Creating the Electroinc Signature on a
Rental Contract
1
Choose Rental Contract from the Customer Operations
menu.
2
Follow the instructions shown for creating a Rental Contract.
See "Creating a Rental Contract" on page 114.
3
Click the Final button on the toolbar located in the middle of
the window.
4
Click the OK button and the electronic signature pad will popup.
5
Allow customer to sign his/her signature.
6
Click the Done button to confirm signature.
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31 6
7
The rental contract with the signed signature is generated into
a PDF file as shown in the example below:
8
Click the
button in Delivery tab to preview the signed
signature in PDF file.
9
You can double-click the path to open the document or add an
existing document to the contract.
31 7
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
P C Ch ar ge C on f ig u r at io n f r o m S i r iu s
PCCharge Configuration from Sirius
Before using PCCharge, please ensure that the CD provided to
you with the hardware is installed in advance. Follow Windows
found new hardware wizard if necessary.
Before using the hardware, you must configure PCCharge
properties. Please contact Verifone - PCCharge for technical
support.
■
To Configure PCCharge Properties:
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
2
Choose Customer Transactions.
3
Click on Modify.
4
Activate Credit Card scanning to YES.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
7
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
8
Choose Operations.
9
In the Operations 2 tab, click Modify.
10 Enter the executable file on PC Charge Path.
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11 Type c:\Program Files\Active-Charge.
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Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
Ap p ly t ran s act i on s wit h PC C h arg e
Apply transactions with PC Charge
PC Charge can be used in the final screen of any transaction in
Sirius to receive payments for deposits or payments for invoices
using debit or credit cards.
■
To Apply Debit and Credit Card Transactions from
Sirius:
1
Click the Final button on the Toolbar in the centre of the
window.
2
Click the Auth. Credit Card button.
3
Click Modify to manually enter the credit card information. If
the magnetic band reader is configured in Sirius, swipe the
credit or debit card in the magnetic band reader.
4
Click OK.
PCCharge can be used in
order to receive deposits
and payments.
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32 0
Credit Card Report
The credit card report provides you with the information required
to process a payment.
■
To Generate a Credit Card Report :
1
Choose Customer Operation from the Reports menu.
2
Click the down-arrown button and select Credit Card Report
from the list.
3
Click OK.
The Credit Card Report is displayed as shown in the example
below.
32 1
Ch a pt er 15 Si riu s Pe rip h era l D ev ic es
PC Ch ar ge Wa rn in g Me ss ag es f ro m Sir iu s
PCCharge Warning Messages from
Sirius
Here are the most common warning messages from Sirius when
using PCCharge.
For warning messages
generated by PCCharge,
please refer to PCCharge
user’s manual.
•
"Cannot process card, error with PCCharge"
This message appears when PCCharge is closed or is not
working properly.
Solution: Make sure PCCharge is open. If it is open, close
and re-open again.
•
"A transaction is currently processed by PCCharge.
Please try again in a few seconds"
This message appears when PCCharge is already processing
a transaction.
Solution: Wait a few seconds and try to process your
transaction again.
•
"Failed to communicate with PCCharge or operation
cancelled by user"
This message appears when the user clicks on the Cancel
button on the waiting message generated by PCCharge.
Chapter 16
Batch Scanning
This chapter shows you how to perform batch scanning from
Sirius.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Configuring the Batch Scan Properties
•
Entering Quantities for a Serialized Item on a Quotation
•
Assigning Bulk and Serialized Items on a Rental Contract
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32 3
Configurating the Batch Scan Properties
The batch scanning process is useful for companies renting bulk
and serialized items in large quantities.
This process offers the flexibility of creating quotations displaying
the total quantity of items being rented while allowing inventory
control at a serial item level.
■ To Configure Batch Scan Properties:
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
2
Choose Operations.
3
Click on Modify.
4
Activate Batch Scaning to YES.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
■ To Enable Serialized Items on a Single Line Printout :
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
2
Choose Form Settings.
3
Click on Modify.
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32 4
4
Check the boxes for the desired transactions under column
Group Serialized Items.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
■ To Enter Quantity for Serialized Items on a Quotation:
1
Choose Configuration from the Branches menu.
2
Choose Forms.
3
Click on Modify.
4
Activate Group Similar Serialized Items to YES.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Quit.
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32 5
Entering Quantities for Serialized Items
on a Quotation.
You can enter on the quotation screen a quantity for the number of
serialized items desired. See "Rental Contracts" on page 113.
■ To Enter a Quantity on a Quotation:
1
In the Item field, add the item code.
2
Enter the desired number in the Quantity field.
3
Click OK.
The item will display the serialized item individually in the
detail section.
When working on a
quotation or reservation, it
is not required to identify
serial number of the units
to be shipped.
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4
32 6
Click OK.
The printout will show the item and its corresponding quantity
on one line.
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32 7
Assigning Bulk and Serialized Items on a
Rental Contract
You can assign the specific extenion of a serialized item when
transforming to a rental contract. See "Transforming Other
Transactions" on page 133.
■ To Assign Serialized Items on a Rental Contract:
1
Click the Scan button.
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The pick ticket on hand
provides you with the
missing items to complete
the rental contract.
32 8
2
Choose New Scan to start a new scan on any of the serialized
items listed on the contract or choose Resume to modify .
3
Start scanning the bulk and serialized items to be listed on the
contract.
4
Click OK.
5
Click Cancel.
6
Click Finish.
7
Click on Assign Quantity to assign the items to the contract
or click on Assign Quantity (All) to assign all items to the
contract.
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8
Click the Print button to print a pick ticket.
9
Click Quit to exit the batch scan screen and return to the
rental contract screen.
32 9
Appendix A
Branch
Configuration
This appendix shows you how to configure a variety of options for
each of your branch locations.
Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:
•
Rates
•
Forms
•
Customer Transactions
•
Inventory Labels
•
Accounting
•
Operations
•
Data Import/Export
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33 1
Rates
Setting Up Surcharge Rates
You can use Rate Definition to determine and set the following
options:
•
Allow prorating for item rentals
•
Define rates in Multiple Currencies
•
Configure Weekend Rates
•
Determine Rates for Monthly and Periodic Invoicing
•
Set up how interest is issued.
■ To Set Up Surcharge Rates:
1
Choose Branches - Rate Definition from the Configuration
menu. The Sirius - Rate Definition window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
In the Disable prorating field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Yes" if you want to disable prorating. Prorating
fractions are shown in the Surcharge Rates table. If not. leave
"No" selected.
If you choose to disable
prorating, the Surcharge
Rates table will not be
available to calculate the
surcharge. Instead, the
item pricing structure will
be used.
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33 2
If you elected to keep prorating, you can set the default
surcharge rates as follows:
ŠIn the Price Day and Hour field, type a fraction of the
regular daily rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional hour the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Day and Day field, type a fraction of the
regular daily rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional day the item is rented.
ŠIn the Price Week and Day field, type the fraction of the
regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer for
each additional day the item is rented.
A good method to use to
determine the value of the
surcharge fractions you
enter is to answer the
following question:
ŠIn the Price Week and Week field, type the fraction of
the regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer
for each additional week the item is rented.
"If the item is rented for a
specific period, and the
item is not returned on
time, what portion of that
original period would I like
to charge the customer
for the late period."
Example:
Let’s say you charge
$70.00 for a one week
rental.
You then decide to
charge $14.00 or one-fifth
(1/5) of the weekly rental
for each day it is overdue.
The fraction you would
enter in the Price Week
and Day field would be
0.2 or one-fifth (1/5) of the
weekly rental rate.
ŠIn the Price Month and Day field, type the fraction of
the regular monthly rate to be charged to the customer
for each additional day the item is rented
ŠIn the Price Month and Week field, type the percentage
of the regular weekly rate to be charged to the customer
for each additional week the item is rented.
5
In the Exchange Rate section, type the exchange rate to be
used for foreign currency transactions and purchase orders (in
relation to surcharge fees).
6
In the 25th hour free field, click the down-arrow button and
select "Yes" if you do not want to charge customers that are an
hour late returning an item.
7
In the Monthly rate = fixed number of days or 1 month field,
do one of the following:
ŠLeave "No of days" selected if you want to base the
monthly rental rate on a fixed number of days. Type the
number of days in the Number of days for monthly
rate field.
ŠClick the down-arrow button and select "Month" if you
want to base the monthly rental rate on the number of
days in the calender month.
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8
33 3
In the Periodic invoicing = fixed number of days or 1 month
field do one of the following:
ŠLeave "No of days" selected if you want to invoice
customers every fixed number of days. Type the
number of days in the Number of days for periodic
invoicing field.
ŠClick the down-arrow button and select "Month" if you
want to invoice customers every calendar month.
9
It is recommended that
you provide some leeway
when setting your
week-end rate period in
order to maintain goodwill
with your customers.
Example:
If your advertised
weekend rates start at
4:00 PM Friday and end
at 8:00 AM Monday, you
may still want to offer the
weekend rate to those
customers who rent the
item at 3:30 on Friday and
return it Monday at 8:30.
In the Weekend Rate section, specify the day and hour when
your weekend rates start and end.
ŠIn the Start fields, select the day and the time the
weekend rate starts.
ŠIn the End fields, select the day and the time the
weekend rate ends.
10 In the Minimum interest amount field, type the minimum
interest rate percentage you want to charge on overdue
accounts.
11 In the Invoice interest on interest field, leave "Yes" selected
if you want to charge interest each month on the interest
previously charged an overdue account.
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33 4
Forms
Setting Up Printers for Forms
You can set a variety of options that will be used when printing
your forms. Keep in mind, though, the options may vary from form
to form.
■
1
To Set Up Printers for Forms:
Choose Branches - Form Settings from the Configuration
menu.
The Form window will appear.
Depending on the form
you select, you may also
have access to the Form
Settings screen where
you can set additional
options. See “Configuring
General Form Settings”
on page 336.
2
Click Modify.
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3
33 5
Move through each of the columns and click the box beside a
form to select or deselect the following settings.
The No. of Copies and
StartingTray options will
only be applied if you
have set the Preview
forms before printing
field to "No". See
page 336.
Item Comments
Select if you want the comments
contained on the Item Management
window to appear on the form. See
“Comments Tab” on page 63 for a
detailed description.
Text Lines
Select if you want to enter text lines
at the detail level when entering a
transaction.
Kit and Access at 0
Select if you want items that are
part of a kit and accessory (and
have a price of "0") to appear on
your form.
Group Serialized Items
Select if you want to be able to group
similar serialized items together on the
printed form.
Line Total
Select to display the line total
(qty x price).
Finalizers
Select if you want to print the amounts
shown in the Finalizers pane on the
transaction windows.
No. of copies
Type the default number of copies
you want to print for each form.
Starting Tray
Select the printer tray to be used
when printing the form.
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33 6
Configuring General Form Settings
You can configure a variety of form settings for use in Sirius.
For example, you can specify that you want to preview all forms
before printing, select the form template you wish to use, or
automatically print a Pick-Up Slip with contracts.
■ To Configure General Form Settings:
1
Choose Branches - Forms from the Configuration menu.
The Forms window will appear.
The
Preview forms before
printing field must be set
to "No" in order to apply
the No. of Copies and
StartingTray printer
options. See page 335).
2
Click Modify.
3
In the Preview forms before printing field, leave "Yes"
selected if you want to preview your forms prior to printing.
4
In the Customer form templates field, click the down-arrow
button and select a form template from the list. The selection
here can be overidden by selecting Configuration > Station
and making your changes.
5
In the Message for customer forms fields, move through the
list of forms (1- 6) and type the message you would like to
appear on the form.
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33 7
6
In the Automatically print a Pick-Up? slip with contracts
field, select "Yes" if you want to be able to print a pick-up slip
when a rental contract is created and printed.
7
In the Optional Tax Printing? field, select "Yes" if you want to
be able to choose whether or not to print tax information on
forms.
8
In the Using Multi-Trays" field, select "Yes" if you are using
multiple trays when printing.
9
In the Multi-tray Printer field, specify the default printer to be
used when printing from multi-trays.
10 If you are using multi-trays, specify the tray to be used when
printing forms in the Tray Number field.
11 In the Group similar serialized items? field, select "Yes" if
you want similar serialized items to be grouped together on
the form prior to printing.
12 In the Use alternate logo on form 17? field, select "Yes" if
you want to use the alternate logo that appears at the bottom
left-corner of the form. Usually, the logo specifies the terms
and conditions.
13 In the Number of days according to line total (form 17)?
field, select "Yes" if you want to print the effective number of
days.
14 In the Header text for Form 1 field, type the header text you
want to appear at the top of Form 1.
15 In the Statement of account form field, select a format from
the list provided.
16 In the Purchase order form field, select a format from the list
provided.
17 Click OK.
18 Click Quit.
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33 8
Customer Transactions
Setting Customer Transaction Options
You can set a variety of default customer transaction options for
each Branch in your organization. The options you set will apply
to all customers transactions of the targeted Branch.
■
1
To Set Customer Transaction Options:
Choose Branches - Customer Transactions from the
Configuration menu.
The Customer Transactions window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
Move through the fields and configure each of the following
customer transaction options.
Activate invoicing period?
Select "Yes" to activate the invoicing
period on the transaction windows.
This allows you to specify the rental and
invoicing period for a transaction.
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Activate delayed
invoicing?
Select "Yes" if you want to allow the
return of items at contract closing and
have the return slip placed in the ’ready
to invoice’ folder.
Retain original periods
on transactions?
Select "Yes" if you want to keep the
invoicing periods entered by the original
user. If "No", Sirius will update the
periods as modifications are made to
the transaction.
Activate "Invoice to"
option?
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
send invoices to a third party, rather
than the customer.
Activate "Skip to end"
button?
Select "Yes" to activate a Skip to End
button when booking a reservation.
This option allows you to create a
reservation number for a customer
without having to add the items being
rented. The Skip to End option is
primarily used in the party equipment
industry.
Activate delivery
window?
Select "No" if you do not want the
Delivery section to appear when
processing transactions. Otherwise,
leave "Yes" selected.
Allow deposit on
customer with account?
Select "No" if you do not want
employees to be able to take deposits
from customers with accounts.
Otherwise, leave "Yes" selected.
Prices fixed on
transactions?
Select "Yes" if you do not want to allow
prices to be modified when processing
transactions. Leave "No" selected if you
do want to be able to modify prices.
Retain prices on
transactions?
Select "Yes" if you want Tariff 1 to set
pro-rating at the item level.
Enter items with
registration code and
scanner?
Select "Yes" if you want to select
serialized items on a transaction
by scanning the registration code.
Otherwise, leave "No" selected.
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34 0
Use UPC to enter items
Select "Yes" to be able to add an item
by its bar code during a transaction.
Otherwise leave "No" selected.
Optional tax waiving on
line item?
Select "Yes" if you want the ability to
waive taxes payable on product items
when processing a transaction.
Otherwise, leave "No" selected.
Term for customer
payment default
Type the default payment term for
customer invoices. For example, 15, 30,
60 or 120 days.
The default term you specify can be
modified when creating Customer
Categories. See “Setting Up Customer
Categories” on page 48.
Damage waiver rate
Type the default damage waiver
percentage that customers must pay
when renting product items.
Once the customer pays the damage
waiver rate, any repair costs associated
with a damaged item they return will be
waived.
Activate cement
calculation module?
If you rent cementing equipment to
customers, select "Yes" to activate the
cement calculation module on the
Customer
This module is a calculation tool that
allows you to determine the exact
volume of cement needed for a specific
task in both cubic feet and yards.
Suggest Deposit
Specify the suggested default deposit
required on rental items. The amount
you enter will appear on the Deposits
pane when finalizing a transaction.
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Periodic Control?
34 1
Select ’Yes" if you use periodic invoicing
and would like a Periodic Control field to
appear on the transactions windows.
The Periodic Control field can be set to
"Yes", "No" or "All". This means when
you do your periodic invoicing, you can
have Sirius invoice all customers whose
Periodic Control field is set to "Yes",
"No" or "All" .
Semi-Serialized
Management?
You can enter the serial numbers of all
your product items into the Sirius
system. This is referred to as
’serialization’ and when items are
rented it allows you to track a variety of
information including maintenance
costs and depreciation.
Semi-serialized Management allows
you to continue to track maintenance
costs and depreciation without having to
select the individual units being rented.
If you select "Yes", you will only have to
select the item and enter the total
quantity being rented.
If you leave "No" selected, you will be
required to select each unit individually
being rented.
Staff Management?
Leave "Yes" selected if you want to be
able to create a staff schedule to handle
a customer transaction. The Staff button
will be activated on the
transactions window. See “Adding Staff”
on page 98.
Multi-branch availability?
Leave "No" selected if you want Sirius
to check only your Branch for item
availability.
Select "Yes" if you want Sirius to check
all branches for item availability before
stating the item is not available.
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34 2
Special prices per
customer?
Select "Yes" if you wish to be able to
offer product items at a special rental
price to individual customers. The
Special Prices section on the Item
Management window will now be
available to you.
Cash Customer Code
Leave "C" selected to indicate a cash
customer.
You would enter this code in the
Customer field when processing cash
transactions. Since they are paying
cash, the customer account information
will not be displayed.
Make sure you do not remove the "C"
customer when working within the
Customer Management screen.
Repair Customer Code
Leave "Rep" selected so that Sirius will
be able to associate the maintenance of
serialized items with specific customers.
Make sure you do not remove the "Rep"
customer when working within the
Customer Management screen.
Pre-invoicing?
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
create an invoice for a customer when
the rental contract is created.
This allows you to collect a payment
before the customer leaves with the
rental item. Pre-invoicing is useful in
dealing with long-term rentals where
you may want to collect a portion of the
rental amount up-front.
If you select "Yes", a Pre-Invoice button
will appear on the Finalizers pane when
processing a transaction.
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Suggest Payment?
34 3
Leave "Yes" selected if you want Sirius
to automatically enter the payment
amount required on the Payments pane
when processing a transaction.
Keep in mind, that even though the
payment will be entered automatically,
you still must select the Method of
Payment. See “Creating a Rental
Contract” on page 137.
Enter extension directly?
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
enter the Item Number plus extension
(EV001-4) directly into the Item field
when processing a transaction.
If you leave "No" selected, you will have
to enter the Item Number and Extension
number in two separate fields.
Include Quotation in
Availability?
Select "Yes" to include quotations on
the Availability window. This will take an
item’s quantity from a quotation into
consideration when determining the
availability of the item.
Variable Taxes?
Select "Yes" if you would like the ability
to specify which taxes apply on the
Finalizer pane when processing a
transaction.
If you leave "No’ selected, the taxes on
the customer’s Customer Category will
automatically apply.
Lead/Lag Time
Management
Select "Yes" if you would like to be able
to set lead and lag times for rental
items. You would specify a specific
amount of time at the beginning (lead)
and end (lag) of a rental period to
indicate that the item is not available
during this time.
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34 4
Display non-returned
items?
Select "Yes" to have all non-returned
items in a rental contract shown on the
invoice. This applies to customers who
are being invoiced after returning
some, but not all of the items rented.
Project Management?
Leave "Yes" selected if you want to be
able to manage projects for your
customers.
If you select "Yes", the Project field will
appear on the Delivery pane when
processing a transaction. This will allow
you to generate an invoice list by
project. See “Adding Projects” on
page 95.
Activate mandatory
franchise?
If you activate the user-defined fields for
the automobile industry, it makes the
franchise field mandatory. Meaning the
system will not allow the user to go
beyond that field without enterina a
value.
Magnetic Card
Scanning Device Type
If you are using scanners to scan driver
licenses and credit cards select the
scanner type to be used.
Driving License Scanner
Select "Yes" to indicate the scanner you
selected in the Scanning Device Type
field is to be used for scanning driver
licenses.
Driving License Format
Credit Card scanning
Card Readers
If you answered "Yes" to Driving
License Scanner, select the license
format to be used.
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
scan credit card information within the
transaction. shown in the Scanning
Device Type field is to be used for
scanning credit cards.
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Use IDScan?
34 5
Select "Yes", if you are using Card
Readers to scan driver licenses
You can use the driver license scan to
add customers directly into Sirius. After
you scan the license, a customer record
will be automatically created, assuming
the customer is not already in the
system. If the customer already exists,
the user will be prompted to update the
information.
IDScan Folder
Click
to select the folder and .exe
file used to launch the Card Reader
software.
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34 6
Inventory Labels
Configuring Labels for Sales Items
You can use Inventory to activate and configure the printing
options to be used when printing labels for sales items.
■ To Configure Labels for Sales Items:
1
Choose Branches - Inventory from the Configuration menu.
The Inventory window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
In the Print Product Labels? field, either leave "Yes" selected
to allow the printing of your product labels, or click the downarrow button and select "No".
4
In the Type of Label Printer field, click the down-arrow button
and select the printer you want to use to print your product
labels.
5
In the Path for logo on stickers field,
6
In the Label Type field, either leave "Standard Price Format"
selected, or click the down-arrow button and select Use
Special Price.
7
In the Activate Stock Output option,
8
Click OK and then Quit.
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34 7
Accounting
Setting Up GL Accounts for a Branch
You can modify your existing GL Account Numbers for use in
your branches. GL Accounts are set up to ensure daily
transactions are properly processed for accounting purposes.
See also “Configuring GL Accounts in Sirius” on page 40.
■ To Setup GL Accounts:
1
Choose Branches - GL from the Configuration menu.
The GL window will appear.
For accounting
troubleshooting purposes,
It is recommended that
you create individual GL
accounts for each of the
options shown. Each
option is linked to a field
within Sirus.
2
Click Modify.
3
Locate the GL account you want to modify and then do one of
the following:
ŠIf you know the G/L account code to be charged, type it
in the field.
ŠIf you do not know the code, click the Search
and select one from the list.
4
Click OK.
5
Click Quit.
icon
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34 8
Configuring Data Transfer to and From Accounting
Software
You can transfer accounting data generated in Sirius to your
accounting software. Before you can do that, however, you must
first configure the Accounting Export options shown under
“Data Import/Export” on page 353.
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34 9
General Operations
Configuring General Operations for a Branch
You can use Operations to configure a variety of Branch
configuration options.
■ To Configure General Operations for a Branch:
1
Choose Branches - Operation from the Configuration menu.
The Operations window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
Move through the following fields and configure the general
operations for each of the following:
Default cash drawer for
payments and manual
invoices
Type the default Cash Register to be
used for payments and manual
invoices, or select one from the list.
Default salesclerk of
payment and manual
invoices
Type the default Salesclerk to be used
for payments and manual invoices, or
select one from the list.
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35 0
Print reports by
salesclerk in closing?
Select "Yes" if you want the closing
report to be sorted by Salesclerk.
Password to delete
contracts
If a user deletes a contract in Sirius,
they will be prompted to enter a
password. Type the password to protect
your contracts.
Show hints on transaction
window?
Select "Yes" if you want a hint to appear
when the mouse cursor moves over a
button, icon or tab. For example, when
you move your cursor over the Add
button the words "Add a Transaction"
will appear.
Additional Trs Info
Allows you to set up to five "userdefined" fields that will appear in the
Delivery section when adding or
modifying transactions.
Select "User-defined" and then do the
following:
Activity Management
•
In Fields 1 through 3 select a
pre-set value from the
drop-down list boxes.
•
In Fields 4 and 5, type a
definition for the text field.
Select to display an "Activity Info" tab on
the Customer Management window.
See “Adding Customers” on page 58.
The tab allows you to enter a variety of
emergency health related information
for a customer, such as any known
heart, diabetic or allergy problems,
emergency contact numbers, etc.
It also separates the Invoice option
within customer transactions by activity
(sales or service).
Check Payment Mode
Select the applicable GL account to
which check payment deposits will be
charged.
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35 1
Birthday Management?
Select "Yes" if you want to enter the
customer’s birthday in their customer
profile.
Multi-currency
Management
Select "Yes" allows you to manage
multiple currencies when
processing transactions.
Preprinted Forms?
Select "Yes" If you are required to print
invoices on government-approved
preprinted forms.
Max. number of lines
per trs.
Only available if you select "Yes" to
Preprinted Forms shown above. Allows
you to specify the number of lines you
want to appear in the invoice for each
transaction. The default is 25.
Customer Item
Maintenance
Select "Yes", if you want to manage
your maintenance work orders by
customer equipment. This allows you to
specify the specific piece of customer
equipment that requires maintenance.
Merge Contracts
Select "Yes" If you are performing
multiple rental contracts a day for the
same customer project and would like
to have the ability to merge all of the
contracts into one contract. See
“Creating a Rental Contract” on
page 137.
Optional damage waiver
Select "Yes" if you want the collection of
damage waivers to be optional when
processing transactions for your
customers.
if you select "Yes", the Sirius user will
be given the option of selecting "Yes" or
"No" in the Finalizers - Damage
Waiver field when processing a
transaction.
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35 2
Credit note
management
Select "Yes" to print negative invoices
as a credit note when refunding monies
to customers. The title will appear as
"Credit Note" and the refund amounts
will be shown as positive. Used in
Europe and Latin-America or wherever
negative invoices are not permitted.
Modify delivery window
Allows you to enter an alternate delivery
address in the customer’s profile. At the
transaction level, in the delivery panel
you may then click on Copy Delivery to
copy the alternate delivery address
information from the customer
management profile.
Modify Transaction Date
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
modify the date a transaction was
created. The date appears at the top of
each transaction window.
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35 3
Data Import/Export
Setting Up Data Import and Exports
You can use Import/Export to set the options needed to
successfully transfer data from Sirius to your accounting software,
or to other branches in your organization.
■ To Set Up Data Import and Exports:
1
Choose Branches - Import/Export from the Configuration
menu.
The Import/Export window will appear.
2
Click Modify.
3
Complete the following fields for each of the sections shown
below.
4
Click OK.
5
Click Quit.
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Accounting Export
Section
35 4
The settings in this section apply to the
exporting of the GL Account Summary
report file.
Accounting Transfer
Select "Yes" selected if you want to be
able to transfer the GL Summary Report
file from Sirius to your accounting
software. Otherwise, select "No".
Accounting Software
Select the accounting software to which
you will be importing the data.
(QuickBooks, Simply Accounting,
Peachtree or MAS 90)
Access path for Export
Files
Specify the path where the GL
Summary Report file will be exported.
The default location is "C:\temp".
Accounts Receivable
Select "Acomba" If you are running
Acomba accounting software. This
selection allows you to export to
Acomba an enhanced GL Summary
Report file that contains a breakdown
of each of your Accounts Receivables
and the amount owed.
Export Path for Accounts
Receivable
Multi-Branch Transfer
Section
If you selected in "Acomba" in Accounts
Receivable, specify the drive and
directory where the GL Summary
Report will be stored prior to exporting
to Acomba.
The settings in this section apply to the
transfer of customer or item files
between branches.
Sirius import path
Specify the path where your import files
will be stored prior to importing to Sirius.
Sirius export path
Specify the path where your export files
will be stored prior to exporting.
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Import/export on-line
35 5
Select "Yes" if to transfer the customer
or item import/export file directly into the
database of the receiving branch.
If you leave "No" selected, the file will
be placed in the Sirius import or export
path (see above) and will have to be
uploaded manually.
Add to export without
erasing
Leave "No’ selected, if you want the
latest version of your export file to
override and erase an existing one
with the same name.
Select "Yes" if you want Sirius to
append your export file to an
existing one with the same name,
rather than erasing it completely.
External Transfer
The settings in this section apply to
Sirius’s External Transfer module that
allows you to import customer or
product items from external sources.
Import External
Customers
Leave "Yes" selected if you want to be
able to import customer files into Sirius
from other software applications.
Client Import Format
Specify the file format used by the client
whose customer file you are importing.
Standard Sirius format (1) is the default
format.
Import External Items
Leave "Yes" selected if you want to be
able to import product item files into
Sirius from other software applications.
Export to CRM
Commence
Select "Yes" if you want to be able to
export your product items to Customer
Relation Management (CRM) software.
Path and file for
Customer transfer
Specify the path where the clients
customer files will be stored prior to
importing into Sirius.
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35 6
Path and file for Item
transfer
Specify the path where the clients
product item files will be stored prior to
importing into Sirius.
Path and file for
Transaction transfer
Specify the path where the clients
transaction files (e.g. quotations,
reservations, rental contracts) will be
stored prior to importing into Sirius.